Uncategorized
YCCF awards student scholarship
Published
10 years agoon
By Emily Wolfe Explore Big Sky Managing Editor
BIG SKY – Dakota Perry is headed to the California coast and Las Vegas this summer, courtesy of the Yellowstone Club Community Foundation’s Big Bald Dave Adventure Scholarship.
Age 14 and a resident of Big Sky, Perry has been awarded $5,000 for a series of three summer camps focused on basketball and surfing. He will go first to Snow Valley Basketball Camp in Santa Barbara, Calif., then to San Diego for a weeklong surf camp, and finally to Las Vegas for Impact Basketball training camp.
Perry is a point guard on the Bozeman-based traveling basketball team Rise and Attack.
During the summer, Perry works as a landscaper for his parents’ private estate management company Powder Stash to make up for the extra expenses not covered by the scholarship. He also shares a booth with his family at the Big Sky Farmers Market, selling jewelry from local artisans and his own handmade walking sticks.
“This is a great opportunity,” Perry said. “It definitely changed my life forever. I can now learn lots of skills and meet new people and make lots of connections.”
The scholarship will allow Perry to travel to new places, gain independence and work on skills that further his goals, according to YCCF Executive Director Casey Schwartz. “The reason the board decided on a $5,000 gift [instead of multiple smaller grants] is that we wanted to make a huge impact on these kids,” Schwartz said.
Four years ago the Yellowstone Club Community Foundation established the scholarship to honor the memory David Mueller, nicknamed Big Bald Dave. A passionate adventurer and skilled outdoorsman, Mueller worked in the ski operations department at the Yellowstone Club for three years.
“He loved to be outdoors, [and] he really had this smile that would light up and his voice would quicken and become louder when he started telling you about his day on the river or the hill,” recalls Jeremy Harder, a teacher at Ophir School and a friend of Mueller’s.
“As we crossed paths he would always be interested in what outdoor stuff we were doing in fourth grade,” Harder added. “He really appreciated what I did and was always genuinely enthused about my stories [from school].”
In past years the scholarship was available to younger Big Sky students, but this year accepted kids in grades seven through 11.
Past recipients have participated in a NOLS course, a salmon fishing trip in British Columbia, and Spanish immersion exploration in Peru.
“We wanted to include high school-age kids, to [give them] a chance to expose [themselves] to different stuff before applying to colleges,” said Whitney Littman, who helped coordinate the scholarship.
YCCF hung fliers, went to the school to meet with students, contacted parents and ran an ad in a local newspaper, and three kids applied to the scholarship. Schwartz and Littman would like to see more applications next year.
The process involves filling out the application, getting letters of support, and doing an in-person interview, which Schwartz said can be daunting for some kids.
Perry, for his part, had a few words of advice for other applicants. “The interview was pretty hard, because I’m kind of shy sometimes,” he said. “Just be you [in the interview], and tell them about you.”
Megan Paulson is the Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of Outlaw Partners.
Upcoming Events
march, 2024
Event Type :
All
All
Arts
Education
Music
Other
Sports
Event Details
Children turning 5 on or before 9/10/2024:
more
Event Details
Children turning 5 on or before
9/10/2024: Kindergarten
enrollment for the 2024-2025 school year can be completed by following the
registration process now.
Children
born on or after September 11, 2019: 4K enrollment is now open for
families that have a 4-year-old they would like to enroll in our program for
the 2023-2024 school year. Please complete the 4K Interest Form to
express your interest. Completing this form does not guarantee enrollment into
the 4K program. Enrollment is capped at twenty 4-year-olds currently
residing within Big Sky School District boundary full time and will be
determined by birth date in calendar order of those born on or after September
11, 2018. Interest form closes on May 30th.
Enrollment now is critical for fall preparations. Thank you!
Time
February 26 (Monday) - April 21 (Sunday)
Event Details
My Barking Dog is a nightmare comedy
more
Event Details
My Barking Dog is a nightmare comedy that tells the story of Toby and Melinda, two lonely people whose lives are forever changed the night they encounter a starving coyote at their apartment building. Over time they grow to expect him, leaving ritual offerings to entice the coyote every night. Toby and Melinda forge a connection over this visitor and share curiosity and concern about his presence in the city. The coyote expands their world–until, one night, their world is shattered. Their lives are pushed suddenly into uncharted territory, sending them on a surreal odyssey that changes their city–and the world–forever.
Directed by LX Miller. Starring Max Schneider and Denise Hergett
Verge Theater is continuing their mission to provide accessible theater to our community. Tickets for My Barking Dog are Pay What You Wish with a suggested price of $35. Audience members are offered the opportunity to select the price point that is comfortable for them when purchasing tickets.
My Barking Dog runs March 15-17, 22-24, 28-30
Performances on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays begin at 7:00 p.m., with Sunday matinees offered at 3:00 p.m.
Suitable for ages 16 . No animals are harmed in the staging of this production.
Tickets are available online at www.vergetheater.com
Time
15 (Friday) 7:00 pm - 30 (Saturday) 8:30 pm
Location
Verge Theater
Event Details
Area parents are encouraged to bring their young children to Symphony Storytime with a Bassoon which will be presented at the Bozeman Public Library’s Community Room during
more
Event Details
Area parents are encouraged to bring their young children to Symphony Storytime with a Bassoon which will be presented at the Bozeman Public Library’s Community Room during their regular Toddler and Preschool Storytime on Wednesday, March 20, at 10:15 a.m. The free program, presented by the Bozeman Symphony is especially for children ages 3 to 5. Children will be able to listen to Montana Shakespeare in the Parks actor Emma Rather, who will be joined by Bozeman Symphony Bassoonist Sam Macken. The goal of the program is to encourage a love of music, literacy, and discovery. Additional programs are scheduled at the Library on April 10 and June 12. For more information, visit www.bozemansymphony.org or call 406-585-9774.
Time
(Wednesday) 10:15 am - 10:45 am
Location
Bozeman Public Library
626 E. Main St, Bozeman, MT