The Power of Scholarships: Dreams Become Possible

Tags: Economic Opportunity, Education, Scholarships, Workforce Scholarship Recipients 2025, Workforce Scholarships, Youth Development

In Tahoe-Truckee, the dream of higher education can feel like climbing a mountain with no clear trail. Steep tuition costs, the high price of living, and the demands of work and family often stand in the way. Each year, Tahoe Truckee Community Foundation (TTCF) helps local students forge a path forward by connecting them with scholarships.

In 2025, TTCF invested $520,100 across 27 students, including 17 first-generation college students. With an average total award of $19,263, these Workforce Scholarships are helping to transform dreams that once felt out of reach into tangible, achievable goals.

A Two-Fold Investment in People and Place

TTCF’s Workforce Scholarships are an investment in both individuals and our Tahoe-Truckee’s future. They are designed to empower local young adults pursuing careers that are essential to sustaining and expanding our local economy. These scholarships are available across key pathways: transfers from 2- to 4-year institutions, vocational or technical certifications, and graduate studies in high–demand fields like education, medical, law, STEM, and more. 

Since 2022, TTCF has united local donors, foundations, and businesses around a common goal: to overcome the high cost of living and maintain a vibrant workforce in the community. Students can apply for a variety of scholarships from the same online application. Applications typically open each year in May and close in late June, with eligible students enrolling in upcoming fall, winter, or spring semesters. Scholarship recipients benefited from support from the following scholarships:

• Al and Josie Noyes Workforce Medical Scholarship – Assisting future healthcare professionals committed to serving the Tahoe-Truckee community.
• Al and Josie Noyes Workforce Vocational Scholarship – Supporting students preparing for skilled vocational careers in the medical field that meet local workforce needs.
• Anna Jane Ellis Scholarship – For students transferring from a two-year to a four-year degree, honoring Dr. Ellis’s career in higher education and commitment to mentorship.
• Martis Camp Foundation Workforce Scholarships – Funding education in vocational and career technical trades to prepare students for sustainable, high-demand careers.
• S.H.E. Foundation Workforce Scholarships – Supporting students in education/teaching fields that advance leadership, fairness, and opportunity in the workforce.
• Steve Shippy Vocational Scholarship – Awarded to students pursuing training in high-demand vocational trades that directly serve the community.
• TDPUD Annual Utility Operations Workforce Scholarship Lineman Award – Supporting students pursuing trade and vocational skills that keep electric and water utilities operating reliably.
• TTAD Aviation/STEM Career Path Scholarship – Funding training and education for careers in aviation and STEM-related industries.
• TTCF Workforce Scholarships – Awarded to students preparing for roles identified as essential to meeting the region’s most pressing workforce needs.

Three Stories of Local Young People

Ask anyone who has ever sat on a scholarship committee, and they will tell you how often they are moved by the passion and grit of our local young people. TTCF is pleased to share the stories of three of our recent scholarship recipients. 

Denisse Vega Zarate: In 2018, Denisse received a TTCF college scholarship. After graduating summa cum laude from UC Davis, Denisse returned to the region to support her neighbors as part of the Sierra Community House team. Now, after two years acting as housing coordinator, Dennise received a 2025 workforce scholarship to attend Harvard University’s Master’s Program with the intention of advancing education policy reform. Here is her story. 

Natalie Diaz: After struggling to find stable housing while pursuing her associate’s degree in Construction Management at Sierra College, Natalie chose to study civil engineering to be part of the solution. In 2025, she was awarded $25,000 in workforce scholarships to continue her education. Natalie is now pursuing her bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering with a minor in Construction Management, with the dream of designing and building affordable housing so working families can thrive in Tahoe for generations. Here is her story.

Pablo Guerrero: Inspired by his cousins who worked as linemen, Pablo dreamed of training at Northern Lineman College but worried the cost was out of reach. In 2025, he received $21,000 in scholarships from the Steve Shippy Vocational Scholarship, the TDPUD Lineman Award, and the Martis Camp Foundation. With this support, Pablo is pursuing his lineman training, carrying forward the values of service and resilience. Here is his story. 

Investing in the Future of our Community

Denisse, Natalie, and Pablo each faced moments when higher education seemed out of reach. But through a diverse network of scholarships through TTCF, what once felt impossible is now within grasp. These students prove that investing in scholarships is investing in the teachers, builders, and skilled tradespeople who will keep Tahoe-Truckee strong for years to come. 

Natalie encourages others to apply, reminding everyone, “You never know who will connect with your story. This scholarship has changed mine.”

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Since the inception of TTCF’s workforce scholarship fund in 2022, TTCF has awarded $1,253,100 to 67 people looking to advance their career with higher education. This life-changing support is possible thanks to the generosity of many donors and longtime local philanthropists including Gina Vadnais, Richard and Theresa Crocker, Owens and Nancy Wallis, Earl and Georgia Smith, Peek Family Foundation, S.H.E. Foundation, Haas Family Fund at Marin CF, Baird Family Foundation, Martis Camp Foundation, Truckee Tahoe Airport District (TTAD), and Truckee Donner Public Utility District (TDPUD). Together, these partners are investing not just in individuals, but in the future strength and resilience of our region.