Moses Lake KFC Worker Wins $20,000 Scholarship

Krystal Salmeron thought she was headed to take a passport photo on Monday afternoon. Instead, the Moses Lake High School senior walked into her KFC workplace to find flowers, cheering coworkers, and a giant check for $20,000 with her name on it.

"I didn't think it was going to be for $20,000," she said. "I thought it would probably be, like, the $5,000 one, if I got anything."

The surprise came courtesy of the KFC Foundation, which selected Salmeron as one of just 11 employees nationwide to receive its highest scholarship honor this year. She had filled out the application with help from her TRIO advisor months earlier, then mostly forgot about it.

The award couldn't have gone to a more deserving student. Salmeron has worked at the Moses Lake KFC for two and a half years, earning a reputation for mentoring new hires while juggling a full Running Start course load.

She's already completed college-level statistics, precalculus, U.S. history and political science—all while maintaining a 3.75 GPA. "There were some classes where it got a little hard, but I still managed," she said.

This fall, she'll use the scholarship to study accounting at Gonzaga University. She loves the certainty of numbers: "I like that there is only one right answer and there's one right way to do it."

Sunny's Take

The moment hit especially hard for Krystal's father, Ladimir Salmeron, who has managed the Moses Lake KFC for 25 years. Watching his daughter receive the franchise's highest scholarship left him beaming with pride.

"She is very hard-working, self-motivated… she always wants to learn something more," he said. He remembers her curiosity starting at age five, when she'd follow him around asking what he was doing.

As a first-generation college student, the scholarship eases a major burden for the family. "It's some pressure off me and her mom," Ladimir said. "Twenty thousand goes a long way."

Franchise owner Calvin White explained that the scholarships are funded largely by customers who round up their purchases. "Right now, they're issuing $2 million in scholarships to KFC employees," he said. "It's a way to elevate education in the community."

For Krystal, the fake passport errand turned celebration felt surreal—but the path ahead feels clear. "I'm excited for college life… and learning new things," she said.

Her dad had the final word: "You are definitely going to" get that degree.