CFGV Academic Scholarships

The Elena Pedersen Scholarship Fund was created in late 2020 to remember and honor Ellen Pedersen, a long-time Gunnison Valley resident and advocate for the immigrant populations in the Valley.

Ellen’s early life experiences as an immigrant left an indelible impression on her. Over the course of her life, she lived in Argentina, Ecuador, Germany, Ethiopia and eventually landed in the United States, where she ultimately made Gunnison her home. She spoke Danish, Spanish, German, Amharic and English, and it was this immersion in so many cultural experiences across the world that would drive her work with immigrants in the later years of her career.

Through her work at the Multicultural Resource Office, Ellen became an important advocate for the immigrant population in Gunnison County, and she became a treasured member of the Gunnison Valley community. Ellen and husband, Luke, chose to establish the scholarship at CFGV in order to continue Ellen’s legacy of advocating for immigrant populations.

The Elena Pedersen Scholarship Fund will provide educational opportunities for children of immigrants or others whose parents did not have an opportunity for higher education, and honors Ellen’s life and work in a way that is very meaningful to her.

The purpose of the scholarship fund is to provide tuition assistance for any educational endeavor beyond the high school level for students graduating from Gunnison Watershed School District, and home-schooled students living in the geographic area served by the Gunnison Watershed School District.

Scholarships are awarded based on the following criteria:

1. 1. Any graduate of a high school in the Gunnison Watershed School District who demonstrates financial need and is an immigrant, child of immigrants, or the first in their family to pursue postsecondary education (meaning parents/guardians did not attend a two-year trade school or four-year university)
   2. Involvement in community service and/or extracurricular activities
   3. Academic merit – maintaining at least a 2.5 cumulative GPA throughout high school

The scholarship awards are intended to assist with tuition while obtaining an undergraduate degree from a university, college or training in other accredited schools of higher education including vocational schools. The award requires each recipient to begin his/her post-secondary education in the fall term immediately following high school graduation.

Scholarship funds will be sent directly to the institution in which the student is enrolled for the upcoming academic semester for each recipient.  Funds will be divided between first and second semesters.

The total amount of the scholarship is up to $5,000. A grade point average of 2.5 and full-time enrollment must be maintained each semester to qualify for the scholarship the next semester.

To apply for this scholarship, go to https://cfgv.smapply.org/.

Every student has a different story to tell.  The common denominator is that each scholarship applicant is trying to narrow the gap between what is affordable and what it costs today for a post-high school education. Established initially by the Gunnison Kiwanis Club, CFGV now manages and distributes this scholarship.

Scholarships will be awarded based on the following criteria:

1. Any graduate from a high school in the Gunnison Watershed School District who demonstrates financial need and has been active in their community
2. Involvement in community service and/or extracurricular activities that demonstrate student’s commitment to “pay it forward”
3. Academic merit – maintaining at least a 2.5 cumulative GPA throughout high school
4. Preference given to students attending Western Colorado University

The tuition award of $2,500 is split into two semesters – $1,500 the first semester and $1,000 the second semester providing the student has maintained a 2.5 grade average and is enrolled for at least 12 credits second semester.

A wide variety of scholastic goals of the student applying are acceptable, including vocational or technical education, community college or 4-year college or university.

To apply for this scholarship, go to https://cfgv.smapply.org/.

“This scholarship is dedicated to my grandfather, Maxwell MacAllister, whose career as a teacher, coach, and principal spanned forty years for public schools in rural Iowa, from 1926 to 1966.  “Mac” was the first in his family to graduate from college.  His son Jack MacAllister, my father, once said: “My Dad was a teacher, and my father-in-law was a teacher, so the idea of improving educational opportunities for everyone is a tribute to the work they did in their lifetimes.”

Educating youth has always been the primary focus of the MacAllister Family Foundation, established by my parents. The Maxwell MacAllister Scholarship is awarded to Gunnison High School seniors who are the first in their family to pursue a postsecondary education.

~Jim MacAllister, for the MacAllister Family Foundation

The purpose of the Maxwell MacAllister Scholarship fund is to provide tuition assistance for any educational endeavor beyond the high school level for students graduating from Gunnison High School and home-schooled students living in the geographic area served by Gunnison High School.  Students must be first generation college or vocation school bound; that is, students whose parent(s)/legal guardian(s) have not completed a bachelor’s degree or trade school diploma/certificate/degree.

Scholarships are awarded based on the following criteria:

1. 1. Any graduate of Gunnison High School
   2. Involvement in community service and/or extracurricular activities
   3. Academic merit – maintaining at least a 2.5 cumulative GPA throughout high school
   4. Preference given to students whose parents/guardians have not completed a four-year degree

The scholarship awards are intended to assist with tuition while obtaining an undergraduate degree from a university, college or training in other accredited schools of higher education including vocational schools. The award requires each recipient to begin his/her post-secondary education in the fall term immediately following high school graduation.

Scholarship funds will be sent directly to the institution in which the student is enrolled for the upcoming academic semester for each recipient. Funds will be divided between first and second semesters.

It is intended that the scholarship will follow the student through their undergraduate course of study with scholarship amounts of $1000 per year or until the course of study is complete, provided it is 4 years or less. A grade point average of 2.5 and full-time enrollment must be maintained each semester to qualify for the scholarship the next semester.

To apply for this scholarship, go to https://cfgv.smapply.org/.