TRUCKEE, Calif. — The Tahoe Truckee Community Foundation (TTCF), an organization dedicated to building a resilient community and environment, has awarded $520,100 in Workforce Scholarships to 27 local students pursuing in-demand careers that serve the Tahoe-Truckee region.

The Workforce Scholarships support advanced education and certifications in fields such as education, vocational and technical trades, aviation, and science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). TTCF says the awards address an urgent need for skilled professionals in a community where the cost of living is 73% higher than the U.S. average and housing affordability remains a persistent challenge.

Seventeen of the recipients are first-generation college students and the average award was $19,263 per student.

For recipient Natalie Diaz, TTFC’s $25,000 award meant more than just tuition assistance. It represented a way to stay in Tahoe and work toward solving the housing crisis. Diaz, who recently earned an associate degree in construction management at Sierra College, plans to pursue a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering with a minor in construction management.

“I know what that struggle feels like, and I want to be part of the solution,” Diaz told TTCF. “Professionally, it’s about building a career where my work directly improves people’s lives and strengthens the community.”

Diaz hopes to design and build affordable housing solutions that will allow working families to live and thrive in Tahoe for generations to come.

For Denisse Vega Zarate, a former and now current TTCF scholarship recipient, education has always meant more than personal achievement, it is a calling rooted in her own journey and the stories of others.

In 2018, Vega Zarate received TTFC’s Jackson Ferree Scholarship. Unlike many awards based on grades or accolades, this $20,000 scholarship recognizes qualities such as kindness, independence and generosity of spirit. For Vega Zarate, it provided not only the chance to pursue her undergraduate degree but also the affirmation that compassion and authenticity are as worthy of recognition.

After graduating, Vega Zarate returned to North Tahoe-Truckee, where she now serves as housing coordinator at Sierra Community House. 

When she began considering graduate school, Vega Zarate set her sights high: Harvard University. As an immigrant from Paredones, Mexico, and the first in her family to attend college, the financial reality of that dream once felt out of reach.

A few weeks ago, she received $60,000 in support, $50,000 from TTCF’s Workforce Scholarship fund and $10,000 from the S.H.E. Foundation, making Harvard possible.

“In five years, I see myself conducting education research and, through my work, influencing change in education policy,” Vega Zarate told TTCF. “I am especially interested in the intersection of migration and education, and I want my work to create more pathways for immigrant students to succeed academically.”

This fall, Vega Zarate will begin her Harvard journey, diving into research on how immigrant students navigate the U.S. education system.

Since 2022, TTCF has partnered with a growing number of local donors, foundations, and businesses to meet regional workforce needs. In 2025, recipients received funding through the following scholarships:

Al and Josie Noyes Workforce Medical Scholarship – Assists future healthcare professionals committed to serving the Tahoe-Truckee community.

Al and Josie Noyes Workforce Vocational Scholarship – Supports students preparing for skilled vocational careers in the medical field.

Anna Jane Ellis Scholarship – For students transferring from a two-year to a four-year degree, honoring Dr. Ellis’s career in higher education and commitment to mentorship.

Martis Camp Foundation Workforce Scholarships – Funds education in vocational and career technical trades to prepare students for high-demand, sustainable careers.

S.H.E. Foundation Workforce Scholarships – Supports students in education and teaching fields that advance leadership, fairness, and opportunity.

Steve Shippy Vocational Scholarship – Awarded to students pursuing training in high-demand vocational trades serving the local community.

TDPUD Annual Utility Operations Workforce Scholarship Lineman Award – Supports students pursuing trade and vocational skills to maintain reliable electric and water utilities.

TTAD Aviation/STEM Career Path Scholarship – Funds training and education for careers in aviation and STEM-related industries.

TTCF Workforce Scholarships – Awarded to students preparing for roles essential to meeting the region’s most pressing workforce needs.