Scholarship Program

2020 Scholarship Winners

Cassidy Austin-Merlino

West Anchorage High School

Western Washington University

Anika Witsoe

Cordova High School

Montana State University

2019 Scholarship Winners

Nicole Friendshuh

Kenny Lake High School

Saint Vincent College

Helen Laird

IDEA (Interior Distance Education of Alaska)

Dartmouth College

2018 Scholarship Winners

Miguel A. Saavedra

University of Alaska Fairbanks

Marina Madison

University of Alaska Southeast

2017 Scholarship Winners

Amanda Friendshuh

Kenny Lake High School

University of Alaska Southeast

Amanda is pursuing a degree is Elementary Education a degree. Since Amanda first became a student she was inspired to be a teacher. “The Copper River Valley is, in my opinion, the most special place on earth, and I’m going to use what I have learned here to teach students that nature is one of the greatest teachers in the world.”

Elizabeth Arnold 

Cordova High School

University of Alaska Southeast

Elizabeth is pursuing a degree in degree in anthropology and hopes to pursue a career as a Librarian so that she can share her love of books. Elizabeth believes that a career as a librarian will “enhance the culture of our environment.”

2016 Scholarship Winners

 Jacquelyn Simeon

Glennallen High School

University of Alaska Fairbanks

Jacquelyn Simeon is pursuing a degree in Wildlife Biology and Conservation. She was inspired to pursue a conservation degree by her families enjoyment of nature in the Copper River Valley, a love of outdoor photography, and from working with the Youth Conservation Corps. She believes that a Wildlife Biology and Conservation degree is an important “bridge between using resources and caring for them for future generations.”

2015 Scholarship Winners

Deanna Knutson

Kenny Lake High School

University of Alaska Fairbanks

Deanna is pursuing a degree in photography, a medium she finds compelling for its “way of getting a message across when words do not have enough power…The area I call home is full of beautiful land and wildlife, and one way to protect is to, like (Sebastiao) Salgado, draw attention to its innocence.”

Sarah Hoepfner

Cordova High School

Humboldt State University

“The summer before high school I got the chance to go on the Copper River Stewardship Program. It was an amazing opportunity and I came back wanting to become a biologist. Later I worked with the Prince William Sound Regional Citizen’s Advisory Council to monitor for invasive European Green Crab and tunicate species…I taught students and adults about what I did, wrote up reports and presented at conferences. I really enjoyed this and loved that I got to do my own research.”

2014 Scholarship Winners

Trevor Grams

Glennallen High School

University of Alaska Fairbanks

“Once I graduate from college, I will work in the maritime industry until I gain the experience and credentials required to become the skipper of a scientific research vessel.  This scholarship will help me meet my ultimate goal of living in a town along the coast of Alaska and supporting my family with the money I earn from doing what I love most: learning about and exploring the Last Frontier from a boat.”

Josh Hamberger

Cordova High School

Utah State University

“I plan on going into the field of computer engineering. Computers are necessary in today’s society.  People use them constantly and are always wanting them to operate faster and smoother.  There are a lot of scientists who live and work in the Copper River watershed.  Those scientists use and need computers to further their research and to help with data…and when I become a computer engineer I could make it easier for them to collect data.

2013 Scholarship Winners

Benjamin Americus

Cordova High School

Montana State University

“In the six years that I have fished commercially in Prince William Sound and the Copper River Delta, I have experienced and learned much of what it takes to be a successful fisherman. Along with these attributes, I have gained an appreciation for non-destructive human interactions with natural systems, and have come to realize that the key to this is sustainability.”

Emelia Van Wyhe

Kenny Lake School

University of Alaska Fairbanks

“I feel that growing up in Alaska has taught me the importance of sustainability, conservation, and taking care of what we have. I have a passion to return to the Copper Basin to work to make positive changes in the Copper River Watershed, such as continuing to promote environmental stewardship and education in the region. I believe the watershed is an invaluable resource that we simply cannot take for granted.”

2012 Scholarship Winners

Angie Kelly

Cordova High School

Montana State University

“Our natural resources sustain us here, and that is why my life in this community has given me the inspiration to pursue an education in biology. […] I can return with the knowledge to use the fish and wildlife here to support the Copper River Regions economy while still maintaining our culture and balancing it all with a healthy environment.”

Dirck Rosenkrans

Kenny Lake School

University of Montana

“Studying how to properly manage resources is very important to preserving our nation’s natural resources. The relationship between the people and the ecosystem is a very important balance vital to the health of the Copper Basin and its people.”

2011 Scholarship Winners

Shannon Lindow

Cordova High School

University of Colorado, Boulder

“My hopes for college are to find a way to prevent further disasters, such as the Exxon Valdez oil spill and to keep fisheries such as the one in Prince William Sounds sustainable and thriving.  By studying either fisheries management or marine biology, I will be able to give something back to the community that has given so much to me and to protect the fishery that means everything to our town.”

Jessica Smyke

Cordova High School

Fort Lewis College

“As I have learned numerous time in science camp: it’s all connected, from forest to the sea, so I hope that my career as a marine biologist will benefit the watershed in some way. I am also an environmental advocate, and wherever I end up living, I will always promote what is best for my hometown and the watershed that it lies in.”

Ellie Bowman

Kenny Lake School

University of Alaska Fairbanks

“My objective is to be an active member of society in the Copper Basin and other rural settings by educating and assisting women and families with the delivery of children and promoting a philosophy of a healthy life.”

2010 Scholarship Winners

Dani Hess

Cordova High School

Western Washington University

“The unimaginable diversity and universal connectedness of every aspect of the environment is fascinating.  The immensity of nature however is morphed into something far more fragile when one considers the impacts that human development and use has on it.  With a degree in Environmental Science, I hope to learn more about this connectedness, and how to satisfy and adjust the demands of human society to make less of a negative impact on the environment.”

Hannah Rosenkrans

Kenny Lake School

Western Washington University

“When you grow up in a place like the Copper Basin, one learns many valuable life skills and begins to wonder what more to the world there may be.  I realize that although I am from Kenny Lake, I am also a member of the world community.”