Teton Regional Land Trust Announces 2022 recipients for Michael B. Whitfield Scholarship Maren Jorgensen of Ashton and Tili Anderson of St. Anthony both receive $1,000

April 27, 2022

Maren Jorgensen of North Fremont High School and Tili Anderson of South Fremont High School are the recipients of this year’s Michael B. Whitefield Scholarship. The $1,000 award is given annually by the Teton Regional Land Trust to a senior who lives in the Land Trust service area with a passion for environmental or agricultural studies. 2022 marks the first year the Land Trust has extended the scholarship award to two high school students.

Maren Jorgensen will attend Utah State University to study Agricultural Education so she can be an advocate for the agricultural industry. She has been involved with the Future Farmers of America Organization (FFA) for the past four years and currently serves as the President of North Fremont High School’s FFA Chapter. Jorgensen is a two-time FFA district champion and won a FFA state championship in Agricultural Issues. She has been a dedicated class representative for Student Council, serving as the Vice President of her junior class and President of her freshman class. Currently, she holds the position of Executive Student Council Vice President and is a member of the National Honor Society. Jorgensen has enjoyed running cross country since her freshman year and takes score for the women’s basketball team. In her free time, she loves to do anything outdoors including hiking, camping, and backpacking. Jorgensen said of the Michael B. Whitfield Scholarship, “The Teton Regional Land Trust Scholarship will be really beneficial to me as it will help me pursue my goal of becoming an agricultural education teacher and help kids realize their place in agriculture.”

Tili Anderson will attend Brigham Young University-Idaho to study Civil Engineering and plans to complete a Master’s degree in Environmental Engineering. She is a National Honor Society Member and has completed almost 20 college credits during her high school career. This summer, Anderson will work as a Youth Conservation Corps intern for the Caribou Targhee National Forest doing trail maintenance at Mesa Falls. Her father, who works for the United States Forest Service, taught her the importance of preserving natural resources to maintain a balanced environment.

Anderson said of the scholarship award, “This will be a big help in accomplishing my goals and working to conserve our natural resources.” She hopes to pursue a career where she can make a large impact in preserving the environment for future generations. In her free time, Anderson loves to hike, waterski, rock climb, backpack, paddle board and watch wildlife.

Teton Regional Land Trust created the scholarship in 2009 to honor Michael B. Whitfield who helped found the organization in 1990 and served as its Executive Director for 18 years. Michael’s passion for land conservation in Teton Valley and throughout the Upper Snake River Watershed, has been instrumental in the preservation of key landscapes in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. To learn more about the scholarship and how to apply please visit www.tetonlandtrust.org.