In addition to receiving a $20,000 scholarship, this year’s Neil Armstrong Scholarship recipient will be getting another surprise. Tomaz Remec, who spoke confidently about his passion for astrophysics, will receive a personal signed copy of one of American Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson’s books. Carol Armstrong, who serves on the Neil Armstrong Scholarship Committee, was so impressed with Tomaz’s dream of being an astrophysicist that she contacted deGrasse Tyson, who had been a friend of Carol and Neil Armstrong, to tell him about Tomaz and ask him to send a personal signed copy of his book.

Telluride High School senior, Tomaz Remec, will be attending the University of Colorado Boulder Honors Pre-Engineering Program. Tomaz was chosen out of a pool of outstanding applicants, based on his exceptional academic merit, extracurricular activities, and passion for science and space. Tomaz completed a Pinhead Internship last summer at the Laboratory for Atmospheric Research and Space Physics at the University of Colorado Boulder, where he worked on the MAVEN (Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution) mission. Tomaz was also active in extra-curricular activities, including serving as the Knowledge Bowl Varsity Captain, Political Club Vice President, and Philosophy Club Secretary; in addition, he has held a job at China Rose Greenhouse. Tomaz is an engaged and enthusiastic student and is well-liked by all his peers. Many would say that Tomaz’s greatest strength is his upbeat attitude and unquenchable thirst for continued research in aerospace science and engineering. He consistently sets the bar high for himself. He successful completed a rigorous workload while at Telluride High School, including ten Advanced Placement (AP) courses.

While attending CU Boulder, he plans to major in aerospace engineering and astrophysics and to ultimately pursue a PhD in mechanical engineering or theoretical astrophysics, or possibly both!

This year, the Scholarship Committee created a new award, the Neil Armstrong Scholar Recognition Prize, for a top academic student, who lacks financial need and, therefore, does not qualify for the academic and need based scholarship. The Committee chose to recognize Adrian Scheibler, a Telluride High School senior planning to attend Stanford University to study biological sciences. Adrian was the senior class valedictorian, has top academic scores, and has taken the most AP classes of any student in the history of Telluride High School. Adrian will receive a one-time, unrestricted prize payment of $4,000. Also, Adrian his passion” prior to funds being released.
The Neil Armstrong Scholarship Fund was created by friends and family of Neil Armstrong to honor the achievements and character of the late American hero and astronaut who died in 2012. The Neil Armstrong Scholarship is awarded each year to a regional high school student pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in science, technology, engineering or math (STEM). Seniors in five local school districts are eligible to apply.

“The Foundation Board and its donors believe that one of the best investments we can make is in our local youth,” said Paul Major, President & CEO of the Telluride Foundation. “We are thankful to our generous donors who believe in the importance of post-secondary education and in recognizing these kids who are such a great reflection of our community and the future of our country”

For more information on the Neil Armstrong Scholarship Fund and the Telluride Foundation, please go to www.telluridefoundation.org and click on “Our Work” and then “Donor Stewardship.” The Telluride Foundation is committed to enriching the quality of life of the residents and workforce of the Telluride region. It is a nonprofit, apolitical public community foundation that makes grants and runs programs in arts, education, health and human services, community development, and social enterprise. The Foundation strives to achieve excellence for the community through its mission and core values, including promoting inclusion and maximizing benefit to all. Our work is funded through the generous support of hundreds of donors as well as grants from state and national foundations. Please visit www.telluridefoundation.org