High School Scholarships

The Alliance offers scholarships to graduating high school seniors at Escalante and Pagosa Springs High Schools to support advanced studies at any university or technical college. In 2021, these scholarships were sponsored by the 262 Ranches, of Tierra Amarila, New Mexico and private donors to the Alliance.

Students do not need to be majoring in conservation or the biological sciences, but must write an essay describing why private land conservation is meaningful to them. First place awards of $1,000 and runner-up awards of $500 are given to as many students as our fund can support each year. Application materials are available through each school's counselor's office during the winter semester of each school year.

Below are the exceptional students that received scholarships in 2021.

Interested in donating to our scholarship fund? Click here and thank you!

Matias Lujan

My name is Matias Lujan. I am a graduating senior of Escalante High School who has successfully participated in National Honor Society. I have obtained several hours towards my college education through dual-credit courses offered by UNM-Taos. My ambition consists of attending a four-year college in the fall of 2021. I will begin my collegiate adventure in the field of horticulture as a first-generation college student. After completing my four-year degree, I intend to research and operate in botany. It is with this in mind that I dream of engaging and participating in field research that deals with the cultivation of various herbs within the United States. I have chosen to pursue this specific field of science in hopes of receiving the opportunity to travel to areas in which I have not been to previously and to study remarkable plant samples.

Zachary Gurule

I was raised in the small ranching town which goes by the name of Canjilon, New Mexico. Working outside on the ranch opened my eyes to the value of nature in our world. In my years of elementary school I did well in the subjects of English Language Arts and Mathematics. As I grew older and started high school, I found a new passion for science. I worked hard in each science I took in order to become better in my newly found interest. I trained myself to ask questions and study thoroughly to improve in science. Due to my interest in nature in science I decided that I ultimately wanted to attend college in hopes to find solutions to preserving our planet and our fellow inhabitants, After I graduate, I plan to attend New Mexico State University where I will study either wildlife biology or botanical biology and find a line of work that I enjoy. With my work ethic and desire to learn, I will receive a Bachelor’s degree from NMSU and pursue my dreams of studying various living organisms. I aspire to be an exceptional scientist of biology and continue to learn throughout the course of my life.

Isaiah Maestas

My name is Isaiah Maestas, and I am a senior enrolled at Escalante High School. Throughout my 4 years of high school, I was a 3-sport athlete, participating in basketball, football and track and field. My academic achievements include taking Dual Credit Courses through UNM Taos, being inducted into National Honor Society, and maintaining a 3.8 GPA. I plan on pursuing a career in Biomedical Engineering at NMSU, and I have a great interest in spending time outdoors, as fishing is one of my favorite hobbies.

Dante Salazar

My name is Dante Salazar. After I graduate from high school, my main objective is to attend college in pursuit of a bachelors degree in Civil Engineering. In order to pursue my goal, I plan on attending New Mexico State University for the four years needed to earn my degree. One thing I would hope to do with my career is give back to our state by helping to work on and maintain the older structures in our state, so as to preserve the different pieces of our state’s history and make sure that they are around for generations to come. Not only would I want to help keep some of the structures in New Mexico alive but I also would like to have a positive impact on the environment as a civil engineer. Some civil engineers are tasked with creating new water treatment facilities or new dams, which really appeals to me because I greatly enjoy being outside and have a fondness for the outdoors, specifically our lakes, rivers, and ponds. As a civil engineer, there are different ways that I can help to preserve such things, just as I would do with the different structures around New Mexico, in order for these resources to be available for years to come.

Kylie keuning

My name is Kylie Keuning, I have grown up in the small town of Pagosa Springs my whole life. I am planning on attending Calvin University in the Fall and have been accepted in the early admission Masters Program in Speech Pathology and Audiology. The Chama Peak Land Alliance is very important to conserving the natural beauty that we have in the 4 corners area, and I greatly appreciate this. I try to do my part in conservation in taking care of our world in whatever ways I can. So that the next generation can engage in the efforts of conservation in many ways. It all begins with simple steps to make our world a better place.

layla Mcrae

From a young age, I planned on having a big future, and as I grew oder I know there were certain steps to achieving everything I wanted in life. I am a major in the dance program at CSU and I plan to get my bachelor of fine arts to further my dance career, in hopes that I will be able to be an artistic director at a dance company or studio one day. College is a dream that will make all of my further career dreams come true which is why it is so important for me to go and finish college.

Madeline M. Metzger

Every goal first starts with a plan. In the following years, I intent to attend the University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio, Texas, and major in nursing science. This will be a great step within my life as I transition from being an Honors student at Pagosa Springs High School to a bright and starry-eyed freshman at this university. Wishing the following four years, I will thrive in my nursing program. pass my exams, graduate, receive my license, and enter the workforce with a majority focus on community and population health. Beyond these goals, I aim to contribute to all aspects of community health: the people, the organizations that serve them, and the environment in which they live.