Scholarships with Heart: TTCSC & TTCF Partner to Help Local Students

From Truckee Magazine, Fall 2026

Each spring, as graduating seniors across the Tahoe Truckee region prepare to leave high school, hundreds of scholarship awards help turn their plans for what comes next into something more attainable.

For some students, that means a four-year university. Others are headed to community college or pursuing careers in welding, automotive mechanics, firefighting, cosmetology and other skilled trades. Their goals may be very different, but many of them have something important in common: a community that has decided to invest in their future.

This year alone, 143 students received 252 scholarships totaling nearly $1.9 million. Some awards provide support for a single year, while others follow students for two or four years.

Behind those numbers is a remarkable local collaboration, one with roots stretching back more than half a century.

The Tahoe Truckee Community Scholarship Committee (TTCSC) and Tahoe Truckee Community Foundation (TTCF) work closely throughout the year to make the annual scholarship process possible. Add in local schools and counselors, community organizations, foundations, individual donors and a dedicated group of volunteers, and what emerges is less a traditional scholarship program than a community-wide effort to help local young people continue their education and career paths.

College scholarships can make higher education possible for first-generation students and working families in Truckee. Many local families work hard simply to cover housing, food, transportation, and other everyday expenses, leaving little opportunity to save for college. Scholarships reduce the financial burden, allowing students to focus more on their education and less on finances. For first-generation students especially, this support can open doors to opportunities that may otherwise feel out of reach. 

A Tradition That Began with Educators

The scholarship effort predates TTCF by decades.

TTCSC began informally in 1970, when a group of local educators came together around a simple goal: providing scholarships to students in the Tahoe Truckee Unified School District. The committee formally organized in 1979 as a tax-exempt nonprofit devoted to that purpose.

One of the people involved in those early years was Leonora Ferrari. More than 50 years later, the Ferrari family's connection to the program continues. Family members still provide annual scholarship funding, with Ferrari relative Kari Michaels among those working with the committee today.

It's a striking example of the continuity behind the scholarship program. Students and educators come and go. The community changes. But a decision made by local residents decades ago to support the next generation can continue to affect students today.

Over the years, TTCF became an essential partner in that work. Today the two organizations collaborate closely, each playing a different role in bringing the scholarship program to students.

One of TTCF's most important contributions is the scholarship software that serves as a central application portal. Instead of navigating a maze of separate forms and deadlines, students complete one application that can be considered for multiple scholarships.

Behind that streamlined experience, however, is a considerable amount of work.

TTCSC receives scholarship funds from TTCF and donors through various sources and distributes the awards to students. In a typical year, the volunteer organization can write as many as 350 checks.

The work doesn't begin and end with graduation season. TTCSC Chair Kim Szczurek describes the collaboration among herself, TTCF representatives Phyllis and Dana, and TTCSC Treasurer Brianne Hipsley as nearly daily at times, with work continuing throughout the year.

“I had no idea when I agreed to chair this committee how much work goes on behind the scenes,” Szczurek says.

The schools are another essential part of the partnership. High school principals and counselors help students learn about the scholarships and application process, while Tahoe Truckee Unified School District provides additional support, including the work of Lupita Vasquez Gomez, TTCSC's committee secretary and a district executive assistant.

Together, those many hands make a complicated process appear relatively simple to the students it serves.

A Scholarship Can Tell a Story

The breadth of scholarships available also tells a story about the community itself.

Some awards come from individuals and families. Others are supported by local service organizations, foundations and nonprofits. Some commemorate people whose lives left an imprint on the community.

The Ian Casey Foundation, for example, was established by friends of Ian Casey, who attended Truckee High School and passed away. A scholarship now helps keep his memory alive while creating opportunities for other local young people.

Longtime community organizations including Soroptimists, Optimists and PEO also support scholarships. The Martis Camp Foundation provides substantial awards, as does the Tahoe Donner Giving Fund. TTCF donors fund many significant scholarships as well. And then there are the many individual donors, some giving large sums and others more modest amounts, who collectively make the program possible.

“The list goes on,” Szczurek says.

Behind the variety is a common motivation: helping local students and families manage the increasingly daunting cost of education and career training.

That support isn't reserved for students following a traditional four-year college path.

Many scholarships help students enter the trades or pursue specialized training. Recent applicants have sought education and credentials in welding, automotive mechanics, hair and nail services, firefighting and other fields.

The distinction matters, particularly in a mountain community where skilled workers are essential to everyday life.

“All of these skills we need here in Truckee,” Szczurek says.

By supporting multiple educational and career paths, the scholarship program recognizes something increasingly important: success after high school doesn't have a single definition.

One Application, Many Possibilities

Students are invited to apply for scholarships each January through the centralized online portal. Applications are confidential, and the process is designed to provide fair and equitable consideration while making it as manageable as possible for students.

TTCF works closely with school counselors to make sure students know when and how to apply. From there, volunteers and scholarship providers use the shared system to make award decisions.

Receiving a scholarship also comes with responsibility.

Students must provide proof of enrollment and a thank-you letter each year before receiving their funding. The students are treated as adults and are expected to complete those steps themselves.

That doesn't mean they're left to figure it all out alone. Organizers provide clear instructions and often have multiple interactions with recipients to help them complete the requirements and reach what Szczurek calls the “funding finish line.”

The process culminates in awards celebrations at the schools, giving students, families and the community a chance to celebrate what's ahead.

Nearly $1.9 Million in Opportunity

The scale of the program becomes clear in the numbers.

In 2026, nearly $1.9 million was awarded through 252 scholarships to 143 students. Approximately $1.1 million went to students from “Truckee side” schools, including Truckee High School, Sierra High School, Cold Stream Alternative School and Truckee River School. Students from Forest Charter School also receive awards.

But the significance of those dollars is best measured by what happens after the checks are written.

For a family struggling with tuition and living expenses, a scholarship can reduce the amount a student needs to borrow or earn while attending school. For another student, it might make specialized training or certification possible. And for someone unsure whether further education is financially within reach at all, an award can be the encouragement that moves a plan from “maybe” to “yes.”

The impact also travels in another direction.

Scholarships established in memory of community members carry their stories forward. Families like the Ferraris can continue a tradition of giving across generations. Service organizations can invest directly in young people. And students preparing for careers in fields from firefighting to automotive repair may one day bring those skills back to the community that helped them acquire them.

The Community Behind the Check

It would be easy to look at nearly $1.9 million in scholarships and focus on the impressive size of the number. But the deeper story is how many people stand behind it.

There are educators who began the effort more than 50 years ago and volunteers carrying it forward today. There are donors who establish scholarships and families who turn loss into opportunity for another young person. There are counselors who make sure students know what's available, administrators who provide support and volunteers who spend countless hours making the process work.

And at the center are the students themselves, each heading toward a different future.

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