NatureTrack Foundation Awards Nancy Stearns Scholarship to Lompoc High School Student for the First Time

The NatureTrack Foundation is proud to announce Braiden Flaherty as the first student from Lompoc HS to receive the prestigious NatureTrack Nancy Stearns Scholarship, marking a significant milestone in the scholarship’s four-year history. This year also marks the first time a male recipient has been selected for this honor. 

“Braiden’s selection is a testament to his deep-rooted passion for animals, a trait evident from his personal and family background. While his upbringing might have steered him toward a career in animal husbandry, Braiden has chosen to pursue a path in Marine Biology. This dedication to studying marine life particularly impressed the selection committee, leading to his well-deserved recognition,” stated Dennis Nord, NatureTrack Board Member and docent, who chairs Scholarship the committee.  

Braiden first heard about the scholarship from his mother and a teacher Mrs. Wordley.  “One of my favorite classes ever, an AP Environmental Science class with Mrs. Wordley, where she taught me a lot of what I now know about the environment.”  She recommended he apply and hope for the best.  And he did the best.  Asked what inspired him to apply, he replied. “I was inspired to sign up for the wonder. When applying I had no idea what I would get if I won, but I was more interested in if I could land it.”  He was accepted at University of California Santa Cruz to study Marine Biology. The scholarship is worth $5,000 broken up into four payments over four years and made directly to the student’s  tuition account. 

“We are thrilled to award this scholarship to Braiden,” said Dennis Beebe, Scholarship Committee member and NatureTrack. “His commitment to Marine Biology exemplifies the spirit of the NatureTrack Nancy Stearns Scholarship, which aims to support students with a profound dedication to the natural world.”

The NatureTrack Nancy Stearns Scholarship was established to support students pursuing education and careers in environmental and biological sciences in 2020. Braiden’s achievement not only highlights his individual dedication but also underscores the growing recognition of Lompoc High School’s contribution to nurturing future environmental leaders.

Founder of NT, Sue Eisaguirre said of her friend who the scholarship is named for,   “Nancy’s enthusiasm for nature was contagious not only for the students but for the NatureTrack docents too. Her passion naturally piqued the students’ curiosity to learn. They left field trips smarter and happier!”

Dennis Nord added, “Nancy believed sharing was more than educating or training, it was involving and believing life could be more fulfilling as you pursued nature outdoors. She was the inspiration to stretch for the lesson nature has to bring, to catch on to the tune and see the pattern of the way things weave their way through our shared lives.” 

Extra-curricular activities are a key to showing the scholarship committee about the student’s commitment. Braiden has won many awards from the Future Farmers of America organization which he was part of in High School including Overall Outstanding AG Student which netted him a scholarship; the Brave P.R.I.D.E Award for Dedication, “a school-wide award nominated by the teachers and staff given to a student in each grade. I was chosen for my determination towards schoolwork and grades, not letting any obstacle stop me.” The staff and teachers nominate a student to represent the AG department based on their contributions and time spent in the organization. However, this award is only given to one student per year.  He also did the UCLA Chicano Research Study Fellowship 23- 24 which was an internship he and some friends did over the summer. Braiden explained,  “After all of the data had been collected, we took it and turned it into a bill which we are still attempting to raise money for and get people to vote on to better our community. The bill included taking tax money away from things like dispensaries across Lompoc and putting the money towards school equipment and facilities for the youth. I absolutely loved the time I spent with my friends and supervisor Chuck, who is really into making a change.” 

For more information about the NatureTrack Nancy Stearns Scholarship or how you can get involved with the NatureTrack Foundation, please visit NatureTrack.org or call Sue Eisaguirre at (805)886-2047 or email her sue@naturetrack.org. 

About NatureTrack Foundation:

NatureTrack is a 501c3 nonprofit that provides outdoor docent-led field trips during the usual school day for Santa Barbara County children at no cost to the schools or students, utilizing local trails and beaches throughout north and south county. NatureTrack’s mission is to foster a lifelong fascination with nature and encourage respectful stewardship of our natural world. With a goal of access to nature for ALL, NatureTrack expanded its program to people of all ages who use wheelchairs so they too can enjoy nature. By providing Freedom Trax, a device quickly changes a manual wheelchair into a battery powered, all-terrain vehicle which can easily traverse sand and trails, wheelchair users can now enjoy natural areas previously inaccessible to them. https://naturetrack.org. NatureTrack is tracking, thanks to the generosity of many individual donors, private foundation, state and local government grants including: UCSB’s Coastal Fund, California State Coastal Conservancy grant, the Coastal Resource Mitigation Fund and the Youth Community Access for All. 

NatureTrack Film Festival (NTFF), an extension of NatureTrack’s mission, is a three-day celebration of nature and outdoor adventure through film and has showcased hundreds of national and international filmmakers’ works to the thrill and delight of thousands of attendees. All proceeds from NTFF will support NatureTrack and its mission to foster a lifelong fascination with nature and inspire respectful stewardship of our natural world.  

Save the dates —  6^th Annual NTFF will take place October 11 -13 at the Camino Real Marketplace Cinemas in Goleta. naturetrackfilmfestival.org