The Gardner Family Teacher Scholarship is available to qualified applicants who plan to teach in a K-12 position in Yavapai County. Several scholarships for a minimum of $2,500 are awarded each year to help offset tuition and textbook expenses at accredited colleges and universities offering education programs.
The scholarship is open to high school students, undergraduates enrolled in a teaching program as well as to displaced teachers who need additional coursework to stay in their positions. A person’s potential to be a highly successful classroom teacher is the primary consideration when awarding this scholarship. Financial need may also be considered.
Application & Deadline
Applications for the GIFTS Scholarship are currently closed. Applications for the Gardner Family Teacher Scholarship will be available online during the application period from November 2023 to March 1, 2024. Successful applications will include letters of recommendation and answers to two essay questions.
Awards Reception
2024 Scholarship awards will be given at a reception on April 26, 2024 at 4:00 pm, YCESA 2970 Centerpointe E Dr, Prescott 86301
Attendance at the Award Ceremony is mandatory in order to receive the scholarship.
For questions, contact Jenn Nelson at jenn.nelson@yavapaiaz.gov or (928) 442-5138
Donate Today
We are pleased to announce the expansion of an ongoing partnership with the Prescott Sunrise Lions Club. That makes our organization eligible to benefit from their Tax Credit Program! Now you can donate $400.00 if filing individually or $800.00 if filling jointly to the Prescott Sunrise Lions Club Foundation and receive a dollar for dollar tax credit against your Arizona income taxes. Click on the link below and look for the GiFTS link
Board of Directors
From L to R: Tim Carter,Danny Brown, Corey Gardner, Jodi Rooney, Lance Barnes, Tara O’Neill, Mike Holder, Leslie Horton, Ray Newton
Not Pictured: Dr. Ron Minnich, Mac Macfarlane
Board
Officers
Founder: The late Gladys Gardner
Retired Arizona State Legislature
President: Danny Brown
Retired Public Educator
Vice President: Cory Gardner
Paramedic
Secretary/Treasurer: Tim Carter
Yavapai County School Superintendent
Board
Members
Lance Barnes
Director, American Heritage Academy – Camp Verde
Jean Knight
Retired Director, Lake Havasu MPO
Heather Leavitt
Associate Professor, Yavapai College
Andy Smith
Coordinator – Teacher Ed. Programs, Prescott College
Dr. Ron Minnich (Emeritus)
Retired, Yavapai College
2023 Gardner Scholarship Recipients
Past Scholarship Recipients, 2007-2023
| 2023 | Cory Gross | Guillermo Grimsley | Dylan Cooper Michael O’Connell Elaina Pagliasotti | Desirae Pitt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Patrick Leon | Emily Schuler | Cory Gross Andrea Varela | Desirae Pitt Mattingly Middelton Kaila Bowers |
| 2021 | Trinidad Pecho Caparachin Alondra Mendez | Emily Schuler | Hayley Feipel Chelsea Henderson | Kacie Burns Hannah Woodburn |
| 2020 | Abigail Hanks Hayley Feipel Melissa Norman Jonathan Bailey | Denisha Ozuna Bethany Pachel Nichole Carabin Leslee Presmyk | Kaitlyn Connolly Stephanie McCaslin Katie Winter Emily Schuler | Elah Alvis Jessica Gaff Chelsea Henderson |
| 2019 | Nichole Carabin Byran Malone Elah Alvis | Emily Aitken, Grace Holverson Hailey McMains | Houston Vaca Jessica Gaff Jonathan Bailey | Kaitlyn Connolly Peyton Blumstein Tess Di Maria |
| 2018 | Nichole Carabin, Kayla Carroll, Peyton Cass | Kaitlyn Connolly, Beth Courtright Detwiler, Christina Damko | Nancy Davey Braswell, Kirsten Hillig, Grace Holvreson | Hailey McMains, Carson Sandoval, Chance Weir |
| 2017 | Elise Anderson, Grace Holverson, Sarah Schuler | Sarah Broderick, Haley Holverson | Angelina Chavez, Jeffrey Malone | Nora Graybill, Hailey McMains |
| 2016 | Caleb Boone, Nora Graybill, Marissa Rottnek | Melissa Brooks, Haley Holverson, Sarah Schuler | Angelina Chavez, Amanda Mikrut, Emily Thomas | Debra Earl, Ricky Rodriguez |
| 2015 | Jessica Adkins, Rachel Harold, Katie Ringe | Alex Anderson, Kayla Marston, Delia Sotelo | Nora Graybill, Severin Piper, Ashlee Stotts | Alexandra Johnson, Ricky Rodriguez |
| 2014 | Jessica Adkins, Rachel Harold, Katie Ringe | Alex Anderson, Rebecca Kepner, Candy Shaft | Devon Atrip, Kayla Marston, Laura Ventura | Claren Fraher, Christie Olney |
| 2013 | Jessica Adkins, Crystal Kathe, Katie Ringe | Jenica Artlip, Rebecca Kepner, Cassandra Walker | Devon Atrip, Britney Lawler, Albert Zalfini | Kristen Jensen, Cortland Mathers-Suter, Marissa Ziering |
| 2012 | Jenica Artlip, Rebecca Kepner, Debby Schoenfeld | Nathaniel Hald, Tabitha King, Sally Stolz | Christina Jones, Ashly Lawler, Jill Wagner | Crystal Kathe, Tanya Padilla-Melton, Albert Zalfini |
| 2011 | Jenica Artlip, Susan Lemieux-Luque, Grace Summers | Jeremy DeRois, Jasmin Licavoil, Jennifer Turner | Christina Horn, Hannah Marcum | Ashley Law;er, RJ Mayer |
| 2010 | Morgan Dubs, William Hogue, Christine Penner | Shannon Erickson, Erik Juarez, Jill Wagner | Ramsay Fornara, Tabitha King | Jonathan Hannah, Amy Kuntz |
| 2009 | Jonathan Hannah, Christine Penner, Susan Turner | Nicole Hutchinson, Brianna Rade | Susan Lemieux-Luque, Cassandra Spleiss | Melanie Olstadt, Brian Tankesley |
| 2008 | Scott Fitterer, Erik Juarez, Kelly Smith | Melanie Goldsmith, Kristin Peña, Susan Turner | Maria Haag, Jessica Piotter | Kallie Haddow-Cashatt, Dayna Sherrill |
| 2007 | Sierra Dye, Kallie Haddow, Alexandra Ward | Scott Fitterer, Sarah Pomeroy | Melanie Goldsmith, Amanda Reel | Whitney Grovenstein, Kelly Smith |
“An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.”
– Benjamin Franklin
History of the Gardner Family Teacher Scholarship
Gladys Gardner
The scholarship was founded by the late Gladys Gardner with an initial gift of $100,000 by the Gardner Family Trust. Mrs. Gardner led a distinguished career that began as a teacher in a one-room school in Texas. She also served in several elected positions, including as a State Representative in the Arizona State Legislature (1965-1974) and was the first woman elected to the Yavapai County Board of Supervisors (1981-1988). In all of her roles, education was her primary focus.
Today, the scholarship is administered as a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. The mission, as ever, is to support quality education in Yavapai County with a number of scholarships awarded annually to students in Yavapai County who wish to pursue teaching degrees. The scholarships are intended for tuition and textbook expenses at accredited colleges and universities offering education programs. The Gardner Family Teacher Scholarship also supports programs intended to promote the teaching profession and improve the quality of teaching in Yavapai County.
Contact Us
The Gardner Family Teacher Scholarship
2970 Centerpointe East Drive
Prescott, AZ 86301
(928) 442-5138