Alumni Celebrate Autumn

Four-year-old Milana Manuylo seemed thrilled to have seen a gigantic pumpkin slowly make its way to the top of a crane only to be let loose and crash into a swimming pool, causing a great eruption and cheers from the crowd.

“The pumpkin blew up,” little Milana said, demonstrating the explosion with her hands.

Milana was at Bauman’s Farm and Garden Harvest Festival on Saturday, Oct. 5, 2013, with her mother and aunt as part of the Ford Scholar Alumni Association fall social event held in Gervais, Ore. Class of 2008 Ford Scholar Alumna Liliya Abildayeva came the short distance from Wilsonville to enjoy the fall festivities. She and her sister Nina Manuylo went to school with the Baumans.

Ford Scholar Alumna Cari (Bauman) Hershberger arranged for FSAA members to attend the harvest festival on her family’s farm. Nearly 20 alumni and their friends and families came to enjoy a beautiful autumn day.

Jessica (Vance) Stanley from the Class of 1997 shared a hot dog and curly fries with her three-year-old son, Landon. She said they were going to try out the giant jumping pillow and do as many activities as they could before it was his nap time.

Visiting the farm has become an annual tradition for the FSAA. It’s a fun and festive way to connect with other Scholars, and members hope even more will attend next year.