Grossman Scholar Spotlight: Preston Young
Alex Schupp • January 6, 2021
Hello! My name is Preston Young...
and I feel very fortunate to be one of the recipients of the Grossman Scholarship. I am a recent high school graduate from Dakota Ridge High School where I was an active member of National Honor Society, played soccer, and completed several Advanced Placement courses. Additionally, I volunteered with various organizations including the All-Stars Program where I was a buddy for kids with special needs, the Denver Zoo Explorers Program where I assisted zoo keepers and learned about animal conservation, and VOC’s Cairn program where I participated in many outdoor stewardship projects throughout Colorado.
Although I have always felt a connection with nature and enjoyed spending time outside through hiking and fishing, it was the Cairn program that allowed me to foster a deeper passion for conservation and protecting our most valuable resource, our Earth. In order to accomplish my goal of working in conservation, I am attending CSU where I will major in Wildlife and Conservation Biology and Spanish. These studies will allow me to explore career opportunities where I hope to find my niche and fulfill my commitment to the planet.
I am ever thankful to receive the Grossman Scholarship to help jumpstart my education and provide opportunities to explore options that await me in college and in my future career. I may not know precisely what my future will look like, but I know I want my career and my passion for conservation to be one in the same.
Preston is one of five students to receive VOC's Grossman Scholarship
for the 2020-21 school year. VOC offers four $5,000 scholarships annually to eligible Colorado residents who have demonstrated a commitment to caring for our environment's natural resources and intend to pursue post-secondary education through an accredited environmental, natural resource, climate, or outdoor industry related education program in Colorado.
Applications for the 2021-22 school year are open through 11:59pm on March 31, 2021.
Grossman Scholar Kace reflects on their path in conservation biology and how VOC’s scholarship is helping them pursue hands-on research and fieldwork at CSU.
After three meaningful decades, Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado (VOC) will be saying goodbye to our longtime home at the Dos Chappell Bathhouse in Denver's beloved Washington Park. In the early 1990s, VOC signed a 30-year lease with the City of Denver to transform the historic bathhouse in Washington Park into a headquarters that could support our growing mission. With generous support from our community, we launched a capital campaign and raised $700,000 to complete the initial renovations, which were finalized in 1996. Altogether, including the original renovations, VOC has invested more than $1 million in improvements and ongoing maintenance, creating a space that is enjoyed by our staff, volunteers, and the broader Washington Park community. In 2000, the building was renamed in honor of Dos Chappell, VOC’s former Executive Director (1988–1999), whose vision and leadership left a lasting legacy on our organization and Colorado’s outdoor stewardship movement. This space has been more than just an office—it’s been a gathering place, a launchpad for thousands of volunteers, and a visible symbol of our commitment to caring for Colorado.
Hi! My name is Cecilia Huber,
Hello, my name is Nic Woods.
Hello, my name is Jovanna Fierro,
Cairn Students Complete Their Final Project
Hello! My name is Lydia Meakins,
Hello! My name is Oliver Smock,
Hello! My name is Lucia Keller-Otto,
Cairn Participants Conduct a Site Visit and Learn What It Means To Be a Crew Leader
