2015 Community Scholarships Awarded

Tags: Youth Development

Recently, a committee convened to award several community scholarships facilitated by Tahoe Truckee Community Foundation (TTCF).  Volunteer committee members diligently reviewed their share of the ninety-nine anonymous applications competing for eleven available scholarships.  A total of $73,000 was awarded.

The scholarship selection process was both rewarding, and extremely poignant.  Each scholarship essay revealed a depth of life understanding that may challenge adult concepts of what local young people experience daily.

Bullying, depression, peer pressure, and poverty lay beneath the surface of our youth culture.  But what burgeons from below is resilience, perseverance, and heroism.

Applications told stories of rising above circumstances by starting school clubs, immersing oneself in community service, and working to pay for basic family needs.  Through small and large acts, honorees devoted their time to creating conscious change for themselves, their families, and their peers.

To make the selection process easier, scholarships specify criteria based on student location, personal history, ethnicity, academia, and community service.  Most of these scholarships memorialize beloved community and family members, and to select the most appropriate candidate for each is an honor. After several hours of deliberation, the committee assigned an outstanding recipient for each of the scholarships below.

New 2015 scholarships:

• John Guerra 2015 Scholarship
• Mountain Area Preservation Scholarship
• Tahoe Donner Giving Fund Scholarship

2015 scholarships included:

• The Jackson Ferree Memorial Scholarship
• Cameron and Jane Baird Memorial Scholarships (Two and Four Years)
• The Robert “Fro” Frohlich Memorial Scholarships (Male and Female Recipients)
• The Pat Sutton Memorial Scholarship
• The Elenita Sullivan Memorial Scholarship
• Ed Plaut Jr. Arts & Humanities Memorial Scholarship.

Many incredible students were recognized for their academic efforts and community service, but many more worthy young people received decline letters.  If you are interested in expanding the scope of our community scholarships, please consider Donating Now and indicating the TTCF Community Scholarship Grant Fund. You may also donate to one of the above scholarships on the TTCF Scholarships page.  You may also call 530-587-5776.