Scholarships
Our Whidbey Audubon Society Renee Smith Scholarship for Environmental Studies supports Whidbey Island graduating high school seniors who are going on to pursue higher education degrees in environmental programs. Each spring Whidbey Audubon Society awards scholarships to two or three outstanding students.
Consider a donation in support of the Scholarship Fund. Help us help those who are carrying the environmental stewardship torch forward for future generations.
One of three 2024 recipients, Ava Mitten of Coupeville High School is awarded a scholarship by Susan Bennett. The other winners are Naomi Atwood and Audrey Gmerek of South Whidbey High School. This is the thirteenth year that the scholarships have been awarded to graduating high school seniors.
If you prefer to mail a donation, please use our mail-in form: Scholarship Donation Form
Applying for a Scholarship
Our 2025 graduation year applications and application instructions detailing eligibility, submission deadlines and requirements, are here. Please carefully note the application deadline is April 7, 2025.
Information about our former scholarship recipients is contained in the following file: Scholarship Recipients
Congratulations to Our 2023 Scholarship Recipients!
Our 2023 scholarships were awarded to three accomplished 2023 Whidbey Island high school graduates: Wynter Arndt of Coupeville High School and Sydney Carver and Madeline Racicot of South Whidbey High School. Congratulations to Wynter, Sydney, and Madeline! Enjoy your higher education studies. And thank you to the many generous Whidbey Audubon contributors who make these wonderful scholarships possible to Whidbey graduates.
Wynter Arndt, a 2023 graduate of Coupeville High School, is majoring in Environmental Science at the U.W. program in the San Juan Islands. A member of a 5th generation Whidbey farming family, Wynter has been a member, advocate, and volunteer in the Farm-To-School program throughout her high school years.
Sydney Carver, a 2023 graduate of South Whidbey High School, is majoring in Environmental Science and Biology at Western Washington State University, planning to do scientific research while there.
Madeline Racicot, a 2023 graduate of South Whidbey High School, is majoring in Environmental Engineering at Cal Poly. While living life-long on a farm, she has fully participated in high school environmental projects: bee pollination, building bee boxes, working the school farm, designing a recycling system, and successfully advocating for the environmental science class now offered at South Whidbey High.
Banner Photo: Jann Ledbetter