Thank you for applying to receive a Fountain Valley Scholars scholarship. In addition to the regular FVS scholarship, students have the opportunity to win special recognition scholarships and distinguished scholarships. There are three distinguished scholarships that require an additional essay. Students may use the same essay for all three as long as the student answers the essay question completely for each scholarship. If a student does use the same essay, please print copies for each scholarship and label them appropriately.

Regular Scholarship: $750

Applicants must meet scholarship criteria, write an essay, and interview with the committee to be considered for a scholarship.

The committee will give a total of 24 scholarships, 8 per school.

Special Recognition Scholarships:

1. Thunder in the Valley Scholarship: The top interview scorers through the scholarship interview process from each school receive $1,000, which is an additional $250.

2. High-Point Scholarship: The top point scorers through the scholarship selection process from each school receive $1,000, which is an additional $250.

3. First-generation College Student Scholarship: The highest scoring first-generation college candidate from each school will receive $1,000, which is an additional $250.

4. Optimist Scholarship: The regular scholarship winner who the selection committee judges to perform the most community service wins a $1,000, which is an additional $250.

Distinguished Scholarships:

1. Ermel Memorial Scholarship: The regular scholarship winner with the highest scored short answer wins a $500 scholarship. In memory of Robert and Emma Ermel who were pillars in the Fountain community and known for their support of education. When the Ermels passed away, all memorials were directed to Fountain Valley Scholars, and then known as Dollars for Scholars. The plaque rotates to the winning student’s high school counseling center.

2. Watson Memorial Scholarship (additional essay): The regular scholarship winner who is judged by the Watson family to have overcome odds, achieved in school and activities, and who holds regular job wins $1,000 for year one of college and $750 for each of the next three years in college as long as he or she keeps his or her grades up. Applicants must complete a separate essay in addition to the FVS essay for the Watson scholarship. The Watson Family will select one winner for the scholarship. Named in honor of Jules Watson who as owner of Widefield Homes and built Widefield. Watson Junior High is named in Jules’ honor.

3. Michael Downing Memorial Scholarship (additional essay): The regular scholarship winner from Fountain-Fort Carson High School who is judged by the Downing family to have overcome odds after writing a 500-word essay wins $1,000 scholarship. In its infancy, half of the award comes from Fountain Valley Scholars’ regular fund and the other half from the Downing Scholarship Fund. The Downing family will decide how much is awarded out of their fund. Named in honor of Michael Downing, who was a Fountain Valley Scholars (then known as Dollars for Scholars) scholarship winner in 2006 and who passed away in 2007 after a courageous battle with cancer.

4. Believe In Me Scholarship (additional essay): The Believe In Me scholarship was created by Superintendent Scott Campbell in 2018. In lieu of a retirement gift for a retiring administrator, all district administrators donate toward the Believe In Me scholarship, which is given to a student who attended an elementary, junior high, and at least two years of high school in Widefield School District 3. The winning recipient will receive $1,000 for the first year, and $750 for the following three years of college.