Gifts at WorkEach year, the Wild Rockies Field Institute uses donations it receives to provide scholarships to as many students as possible. These scholarships are either need-based, from our General Scholarship Fund, which allow students to have a WRFI experience who might otherwise be unable to participate, or merit-based, in the case of the Matt Thomas Scholarship. As a donor, it is always nice to see where your donations go, who they have supported, and how they have made a difference. The following are some of the people who have received scholarships from WRFI. Click here if you would like to know how you can help more students to have similar life-altering experiences. 2006: Ashley Dresser, University of Minnesota
Other 2006 recipients include Diana Guillén Vega (Baja), Hsin-Pin Lin (Yucatan), Roxanne Vouk (Yucatan), Megan Flood (Yucatan), Kate Prince (Colorado Plateau), Catherine Fraser (Traditional Knowledge), and Bret Harper (Traditional Knowledge). 2005: Nicole Larkin, University of Michigan, Flint
Other 2005 recipients include John Hall (Yucatan), Jennifer Surdyk (Yucatan), Marguerite Jimenez (Yucatan) and Maria Nelson (Alaska). 2004: Amanda Hooykaas, University of Waterloo
Other 2004 recipients include Meleah Himber (Colorado Plateau), Melissa Giroux (Colorado Plateau), Richard Rangel (Colorado Plateau) and Tara MacDonald (Yellowstone to Yukon and Traditional Knowledge). 2003: Hannah Arkin, University of Michigan
2002: John DeJong, Dordt College
|
 |
 |
"I can’t wait to awe my grandkids with tales of trekking up Greathouse Peak through a raging snowstorm or whitewater kayaking down the Yellowstone River in a barrage of hail. I have only Montana Afoot and Afloat to thank for these days that I cursed, but are now memories that I cherish because they have made me a stronger person. I pledge to do my best in life to ensure that when I die there will still be heavenly earth for my bones to lie within, rather than a sea of impermeable parking lots. The knowledge I have gained from my WRFI experience, both academically and spiritually, is invaluable to this task. I’ve still got a long road of ahead of me, but I’ll see you in Missoula in five years!"
"Spending two weeks surrounded by the environment of Baja California has really changed me. I learned so much about my surroundings and myself. I was challenged physically, mentally and spiritually. I will take what I have learned from here to my other education and open new ways of thinking about the world. I will never forget the people I met there either, because [if not] for them I would not have learned what I did."
"When I began my trip, I flew to Missoula over a great expanse of mountains and wondered…. After two months and hundreds of miles, I no longer wonder. Instead, I see. There is far more to Montana than the mountains I flew over. I now depart over island ranges with towering lodgepole and ponderosa pine. Amongst the bases lie untamable rivers, and beyond them a patchwork corduroy of farmers' fields and ranches. Not only do I leave behind a landscape that has been my home and has challenged me in ways previously unexplored, but with the land I have grown to love and understand, I have also met a wonderful group of people, whose experiences and stories I will treasure long after I return home. I shall forever remember everyone's drive, kindness and zest for learning and for life. The experience has transformed me in unimaginable ways, and I am beginning to understand my place in the grand scheme of things. For all of this I am thankful."
"I hope the things I learned while on Montana Afoot and Afloat stay with me throughout my whole lifetime. During the course I was challenged to assess the ways I interacted with society and the natural world, and I was able to find a deeper understanding of what it means to be a responsible citizen and steward. Being outside every day, waking up to the sunrise and falling asleep beneath the stars, is really able to change one’s perspective on life. I feel like I walked away from this course with a better understanding of how I should live my life and with a renewed passion to make an impact in the world."
"WRFI was an outstanding experience of life in the backcountry, guiding me through the wilderness with knowledge that I can take and use. I felt that this course made me realize that I am accountable for my actions in the world, and that first I need to change. I still love a big juicy steak, but I think more about where it comes from. It was great to meet all of the different people that attended this course!"