Scholarships

The TerraFocus Environmental Scholarship is awarded to a student planning on a career that will benefit the environment and the public’s appreciation of nature.

Nina Gannes (2006)

Nina first became interested in the environment while attending a High Mountain Institute semester school in Colorado which included backpacking, skiing and outdoor education programs. In college she will study environmental policy, with an emphasis on sustainable development applicable in third world countries. Her personal interest in is being involved in the process of implementing sustainability improvements into everyday life.

Nina will be attending Smith College beginning in the Fall of 2006.

Sarahjean Harrison (2005)

A senior at California State University at Sacramento, Sarahjean is Treasurer of the school's Environmental Studies Organization. She has been active in creating a schoolwide recycling program. and volunteers in river cleanups and at a local organic farm. She is currently in her last term of a business undergraduate degree. She plans to do a semester of study abroad to research environmentally sustainable technology for a Masters thesis in International Environmental Affairs. Her special interest is solar energy. She hopes to bring her business and environmental training together to explore innovation in lowering costs and increasing demand for solar energy.

Margaret Sarna-Wojcicki (2004)

Margaret imagines herself with a career as either an environmental journalist or research scientist. She says her future will "incorporate an effort to both preserve the environment and find a better way for humans to live" on the earth. She begins studies at Columbia University this Fall.

Margaret has been an active member of her high school environmental club and of the Acterra schools group (sponsored by TerraFocus fiscal sponsor, Acterra). She has written feature and opinion pieces on environmental issues for her school newspaper. Margaret loves nature and makes a commitment to spending time outdoors, "camping, hiking and gardening in our vegetable garden."

Phil McKenna (2003)

Phil plans a career in science writing and our scholarship assisted him with living expenses during his summer internship at Audubon Magazine. Phil participated in writing the text for the condor museum exhibit described on this website. His stories about the Condor Recovery Program have been published in newspapers and magazines.

Phil hopes to begin graduate work in science writing later this year.

Dan Williams (2002)

Dan Williams, of Sacramento, Calif., is the first recipient of our scholarship. He is a university junior, majoring in geography. Dan plans to found his own eco-tourism company in order to share his love of the natural world.

Dan has already demonstrated his commitment to the environment. He has been active in his local Audubon Society branch, and volunteers to educate youngsters on conservation issues. He is well known in birding circles in the Sacramento area and is considered an outstanding birder and trip leader. Dan has volunteered and worked on bird and other natural history census projects in several states.