The Martis Camp Foundation believes that quality education is an essential investment in our community. Each year, the MCF provides scholarships that help talented local students overcome financial barriers and pursue higher education. Thanks to the generosity of Martis Camp Members, the Foundation has become the region’s largest provider of college scholarships, awarding more than $420,000 annually to deserving students.

Every scholarship reflects our Members’ shared commitment to education, opportunity and cultivating the next generation of community leaders.

HOW TO APPLY

The Martis Camp Foundation partners with the Tahoe Truckee Community Foundation (TTCF) to administer our grants. High school seniors should visit the TTCF website for more information and to apply. The Martis Camp Foundation College Scholarship Committee reviews and approves applications annually in April.

2025 SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS

MCF congratulates all our 2025 Scholarship recipients who have incredible accomplishments, leadership, character and involvement with the community.

Committed Scholarship:
The Committed Scholarship is granted to a first-generation college student. Priority is given to a student who grew up in a family in which English was not the first language spoken at home. The student must have a desire and a plan to return to the North Tahoe area after graduating to give back to the community.

• Miguel Sanchez Lopez, $60,000 Committed Scholarship
  A dedicated, hardworking young man, Miguel started high school with 5th grade proficiency then graduated with a 4.2 GPA, 11 AP classes, and lots of community engagement, sports and work. He plans to study architecture at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo with the long-term goal of addressing low-income housing needs in Tahoe.

Changemaker Scholarship:
The Changemaker Scholarship is granted to an exceptional student who demonstrates drive, vision, and the potential to succeed. Applicants have been accepted to a top-tier college or university but don’t have the wherewithal to attend. Applicants may also be the first in their families to attend college, or come from middle-income families who will find it difficult to send their child to college.

• Sienna Clark, $60,000 Changemaker Scholarship
  Sienna graduated with a 4.3 GPA. Having done volunteer service in Africa, she wants to be a nurse. She will attend the University of Utah.

Denise Martinez Scholarship:
The Denise Martinez Scholarship honors the spirit of Martis Camp’s first head golf professional and provides assistance for deserving youth who will be pursuing post-secondary education. The scholarship is awarded to students who embody Denise’s qualities – hard work, fair play, kindness and integrity.

• Samantha Carnevale, $20,000 Denise Martinez Scholarship
  Samantha is a dedicated multi-sport athlete (basketball varsity captain, volleyball and soccer) who believes strongly that participation in sports has helped her develop a strong work ethic and ability to overcome adversity. She will attend CSU Monterey Bay to study marine biology in honor of her father who was a dedicated environmentalist before he passed away when she was 12.

• Calvin Curtis, $20,000 Denise Martinez Scholarship
  Calvin is a self-described sports fanatic who hopes to pursue a business degree in sports management. In his high school sports career, he embodied the attributes of Denise and he will attend her alma mater, Arizona State University.

Ambition Scholarship:
 The MCF established the Ambition Scholarship in 2019, initiated by an anonymous donor with a passion to support foster children. The scholarship is awarded to students based on merit and need, who demonstrate a desire to succeed and make a difference in the world. Preference is given to a foster child, or a child from a single-parent home, or from a family with great financial need.

• Callie Schatz, $40,000 Ambition Scholarship
  A highly successful student (4.4 GPA with 11 APs), Callie is passionate about becoming an architectural engineer to develop environmentally sustainable housing. She will attend Cal Poly SLO.

• Elizabeth Mark, $20,000 Ambition Scholarship
  Because of her family’s financial struggles and with two siblings already in college, Elizabeth has committed to paying for college without help from her family. She worked, volunteered and participated in many school organizations while maintaining a 4.4 GPA. She will pursue a career in medicine at Tufts University.

• Marcos Medina-Martinez, $40,000 Ambition Scholarship
  Marcos is a go-getter with an entrepreneurial spirit who started his own business while in high school. He is driven, intelligent and solution-oriented. He plans to major in business at Menlo College and return to Truckee to start more businesses that give opportunities to the Spanish-speaking community.

• Vallerie Laguna, $40,000 Ambition Scholarship
  Vallerie is a passionate learner who values her gift of education. A 4.2 student with 10 AP classes and innumerable awards and volunteer experiences, Vallerie has been admitted to several schools including her first choice, Fordham. She plans to double major in cognitive neuroscience and political science on a pre-law track.

• Damian Navarro Elizarraz, $40,000 Ambition Scholarship
  In just three years’ time, Damian not only learned English well enough to graduate high school with a 3.8 GPA, he has been admitted to several Cal State schools and UNR. He has worked nearly full time while in school in order to afford living in California after emigrating to the U.S. without his parents.

• Timothy Koehler, $40,000 Ambition Scholarship
  An avid outdoorsman, Timothy will be attending UC Santa Cruz, majoring in Environmental Science with an emphasis in climatology. He wants to incorporate AI in his pursuit to protect the natural resources he has cherished while growing up in Truckee.

• Alexa Herrera, $40,000 Ambition Scholarship
  Alexa has the resilience and unwavering determination to overcome her circumstances and is committed to community service. She will have the support of the MCF Ambition scholarship to help her achieve her goals at the four-year college of her choice.

• Graciella Sophia Martin, $3,500 Ambition Scholarship
  With a full ride to Princeton, Graciella just needed a one-time tech grant so we awarded this to her as a special Ambition Scholarship in 2025. Her strengths lie in languages (she speaks four) and public policy. She participated in Model UN, the local Nevada County youth commission, US State Department language study and a Rotary exchange program to France, all while maintaining a 4.5 GPA with 11 APs, taking seven college courses and working 10-plus hours per week throughout school.