The Central Colorado Humanists (CCH) group has announced its scholarship recipients for 2020. This was a record year for CCH, which raised $11,000 in scholarship funds through their annual yard sale, community events and member donations.
Gene Marsh, who chaired the scholarship committee for the organization, said it also received double the number of applications over previous years. Eight $1,000 scholarships were awarded to high school seniors and four $750 continuing scholarships were awarded to last year’s recipients toward their sophomore year of college.
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Scholarship winners include:
Madison Patch, from Salida High School (SHS) will attend the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs and major in chemistry. She has been a leader in academics, athletics (volleyball team captain) and community involvement. She is President of the school’s National Honor Society, and is student body vice president. She was a participant in the Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership Conference. She hopes to eventually earn an environmental law degree.
Madison says, “My generation will be the one to either take steps to avoid climate change, or to exacerbate the dilemma… my passion is to provide the voiceless with a voice. In this case, the voiceless is quite literally the Earth.”
Finley Petit, has received multiple honors for his academic achievements at Salida High School. He has participated in Knowledge Bowl for four years, is a member of National Honor Society, and Future Business Leaders of America. He received the outstanding musician award as a trombonist at the CU-Boulder Mile High Jazz Festival. He has lettered in track, cross country and wrestling, Fin will be attending the University of Colorado, Boulder or UC Santa Barbara.
He intends to major in chemistry or biochemistry with a minor in Spanish. As he writes, “The connections between climate change and the study of biology are vast… I’ll have to have a strong scientific background if I want to study and combat climate change.”
Bowman Russell After graduating from Salida High School, Bowman will enter the honors program at the University of Colorado, Boulder. He has participated in Knowledge Bowl. He was captain of the soccer team and lettered in basketball and track. Bowman has also volunteered extensively with Full Circle Restorative Justice and Ark Valley Helping Hands.
He says, “I have always held the belief that any kind act, no matter how small, can be impactful on the lives of the people around you. No matter how you volunteer your time, the opportunity exists to make a positive impact on the people we encounter through our volunteer service.”
Amelia Tonnesen will graduate from Cotopaxi High School. She has been a Knowledge Bowl participant for four years and is a member of the National Honor Society. She is a member of the high school band, and has participated in jazz band and Rok Skool, as well as drama club. She has been a member of the school’s cross country and track teams for three years.
Amelia anticipates earning a degree in Music Education from the University of Northern Colorado. “I feel investing in children is the greatest effort I can make to create a world that is better for everyone… enabling children to make a difference by believing in who they are as individuals.”
Logan Trenkle, is a senior at Buena Vista High School (BVHS). In addition to his strong academic standing, he has a notable history of extra-curricular activities that include extensive involvement in theater for four years, the International Thespian Honor Society, a performance at Carnegie Hall, plus numerous performances with honor choirs and honor bands. He has been a member of BVHS Mountain Bike team since 2015 and Link Crew since 2017. Logan will attend Colorado School of Mines and study mechanical engineering.
According to Logan, “in order to make a change, an individual must stand up and fight for the change they wish to make. Having credibility is an important factor in gaining listeners and one of the most effective forms of proving one’s credibility is education.”
Jack Wiswell, a BVHS senior, has been taking advanced high school courses as well as dual enrollment classes at Colorado Mountain College since his sophomore year. He also mentors incoming freshman as part of the Link Crew and volunteers with numerous local nonprofit organizations. In addition to his academic achievements and volunteer services, he works in his family’s excavation business, learning to read blueprints, operate heavy machinery and build septic systems, culverts and driveways. One of his teachers remarked, “there are very few seniors in high school who have the set of abilities that Jack possesses. Jack will attend Western State with the goal of becoming a fish and game warden. He will major in wildlife biology fishery management and natural resource science.
Jack writes “I believe anything can be accomplished with hard work and persistence. I have worked hard inside and out of an academic environment and I have seen what hard work can produce.”
Rebecca Ogden will be graduating from BVHS. Throughout her high school career, Rebecca has participated in basketball and has volunteered with many community events. She has been a member of National Honor Society and has worked on her school yearbook. Rebecca has been accepted to the pre-nursing program at Colorado Mesa University with a goal of obtaining a BSN degree.
“By becoming a nurse, or working in the healthcare field I will be making a difference by caring for others in times of distress, by supporting the doctors in their work and educating people on how to improve their health and self-care.”
James Gabriel, will graduate from BVHS and attend the Colorado School of Mines, with plans to study mechanical engineering. He has participated in football and wrestling for four years. He has served on the Student Council. James has volunteered for River Cleanup and other community volunteer opportunities.
James writes, “the responsibility of the individual lies in their ability to better themselves, which subsequently betters their environment, their friends, their workplace, and so on, like ripples in a pond.”
The following students were awarded continuing scholarships to help fund their sophomore year of college:
Brooke Beasley, 2019, Salida High School, will continue her studies at Colorado Mesa University. She is majoring in business with an emphasis on outdoor recreation marketing. Brooke writes, “Intramural soccer taught me that losing every game can make a team of strangers fast friends, working at the recreation center taught me how simple encouragements can help people reach new limits (literally at the rock wall), and Spanish Club allowed me to learn from people with far different backgrounds than my own; it inspired me to step out of my comfort zone and experience different cultures.”
Addison Bright, 2019, SHS, is pursuing a BS degree in mechanical engineering and a BA degree in psychology at the University of Alabama, Huntsville. She writes: “I learned that I could decide what I wanted to do and who I wanted to be and it was OK for it to be different than the person I had spent the last 17 years being in Colorado.”
Mirabelle Riley, a 2019 graduate from BVHS is a journalism major at University of Colorado. She writes, “Racism and misogyny, flaws in education and healthcare, and the growing threat of climate change are pressing issues with massive consequences. I never lost faith that there was a clear path to visible solutions for me to be part of—lifting a sword to slay a dragon. We have a moral obligation to be involved… I may not be able to change these huge issues—there is no single dragon for a bold enough knight to slay—but…I have to try.”
Elisabeth Wiswell, a 2019 graduate from BVHS is majoring in environmental science at Ft. Lewis College in Durango. She states “I have been exposed to numerous cultures, ethnicities, and genders that I did not grow up surrounded by… In addition to diversity in ethnicity, Fort Lewis College has a diverse population of students who identify as a different gender or other sexual orientation … my views were influenced, and I changed my own actions to be more considerate.”
Central Colorado Humanists (CCH) is an organization of people from Chaffee County and the surrounding area who believe in the dignity of human beings and their corresponding responsibility to live in accordance with the goals of Humanism: informed by science; guided by reason; inspired by art and nature; motivated by compassion.
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