The Inland Empire Resource Conservation District (IERCD) in Redlands, CA recently awarded $10,000 (five scholarships totaling $2,000 each) to Inland Empire students looking to pursue higher education in environmental sciences, natural resources management, agriculture, and related fields.
After careful evaluation from a multi-organizational scholarship review committee, which consisted of partners from the San Bernardino County Museum and the Rivers & Lands Conservancy, IERCD’s Board of Directors approved the five selected candidates at their June 16th Board Meeting.
The IERCD has been offering the Conservation Scholarship annually, since 2017, to high school seniors and college undergraduates living within IERCD’s district boundaries who are committed to the preservation of natural resources. Students were selected based on academics, leadership roles, extracurricular activities, financial need, and obvious passion for preserving and protecting natural resources. Among this year’s applicants were students ranging from Beaumont to Rancho Cucamonga, with an array of interests in environmentally focused careers - from architecture to zoology.
This year’s five scholarship winners include:
Damien Solares is a graduating high school senior who was recently accepted into UC Davis to study Environmental Engineering. As publicist for Rancho Cucamonga High School’s environmental club, he helped organize school cleanups, gardening events, and educational meetings. Damien heard about the scholarship in 2019 while participating in IERCD’s annual Speak-Off event- a competition in which high school students prepare a 3-5 minute speech based on an environmentally focused prompt for the chance to win cash prizes. 2019’s prompt was: “Why do we need to act to save the monarch butterfly? What can Resource Conservation Districts do to help?”
Joo Won Son is a 2021 graduate from Etiwanda High School in Rancho Cucamonga, CA . She heard about the scholarship opportunity through IERCD’s Instagram account, which the District utilizes to promote their community programs and natural resource projects. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Joo Won, who also goes by Deisha, developed “plogging” events with her peers. According to Deisha, “Plogging derives from Sweden which combines ‘plocka up,’ which means picking up trash in Swedish terms and jogging. Students of all grades and from various backgrounds and environments participated in this event, even making this into a ‘hang out’ activity amidst the lack of connection caused by COVID-19.” While she originally only planned to minor in Environmental Studies, Deisha decided to switch to a full major in the field while researching and participating in these events. She will be studying at UC Sana Barbara this fall.
Kirsten Wallace is an undergraduate biology student at CSU San Bernardino. She also heard about the scholarship through IERCD’s social media. While obtaining her associates degree at Crafton Hills Community College, she founded the Ecology club and served as president for two years. Her favorite extracurricular activity is completing bird surveys with the San Bernardino Valley Municipal Water District, where she currently interns.
Maja Krishnan is a graduating senior from Citrus Valley High School in Redlands, CA. She presented an interesting idea to the IERCD Scholarship Committee: she plans to study Architecture at Cal Poly Pomona. She delivered a strong argument that professions such as architecture, which are not usually associated with conservation, are valuable and necessary fields to study to create an environmentally conscious future. She writes, “The future in housing will be much more consciously aware and resources should be sustainably sourced… I hope to positively impact others to become more ecologically aware and environmentally conscious in their consumption.”
Xochitl Hidalgo, another Citrus Valley High School graduating senior, heard about this year’s scholarship through her AP Environmental Science teacher and her school’s counseling center. As co-captain of the Citrus Valley High School’s varsity tennis team as well as a member of band and the environmental awareness club, Xochitl is no stranger to juggling diverse interests while balancing a difficult schedule. She plans to dual major in Environmental Sustainability and Meteorology at the University of Oklahoma.
IERCD will continue to offer the Conservation Scholarship Program in Spring 2022. Interested students can find more information at iercd.org/scholarship.