Isara Greacen

Luke Fincher

The San Juan Preservation Trust is pleased to announce this year’s Climate Leadership Scholarship winners: Congratulations to Isara Greacen (Lopez Island High School) and Luke Fincher (Friday Harbor High School)

For each of the past three years, a committee of Preservation Trust board members selected a pair of high school seniors from a truly impressive group of applicants from across San Juan County. Isara and Luke will each receive a $4,000 scholarship, awarded in two $2,000 increments for each of their first two years of college. The intent of the scholarships is to recognize and encourage students in our island communities who have demonstrated extraordinary commitment, effort, and imagination in addressing the issue of climate change, and who plan a course of collegiate study that equips them to advance their climate leadership goals.

Here are some words from this year’s climate leadership scholars on how they plan to make the world a better place:

Isara Greacen

“I feel like climate is an issue that expands across multiple subjects. I hope that my access to interdisciplinary education will allow me to explore the intersection of climate and the various subjects I’ll be studying. For example, I’m really interested in nutrition and my hope is that by going to Scripps, I can explore this crossover and how by changing our diets we may be able to help solve this climate issue.”

Luke Fincher

“My concerns with climate issues have almost directly influenced my choice of occupation and my choices of college. I want to become a climate and environmental psychologist. I really want to help people improve their interactions with the environment while also simultaneously improving their own quality of life. I think that, quite simply, we need a healthier planet in order to live a healthier life.”

To date, the SJPT Climate Leadership Scholarships have been funded entirely by contributions from members of the Preservation Trust’s board of directors. Join them in supporting the next generation of climate leaders: Donate to the scholarship fund.