In his Senior year in high school, Kutoven Stevens became the recipient of the rarest of honors: Gatorade Nevada Player of the Year in both Cross Country and Track. He then partnered with She Carries Her House Productions to compete for, and win, the national Gatorade Spotlight Award. Ku decided to give his winnings to his running club, Sierra Endurance Sports, in gratitude for their generous support and to allow them to continue their work in helping local youth to be involved in the sport of running. SES set aside a portion of the money to create a scholarship fund, and in partnership with Reno Running Company and the Stevens family, is proud to announce the Ku Stevens Legacy Scholarship.
We are following the parameters of the Gatorade award; our committee is searching for one male and one female Nevada high school Senior of outstanding athleticism in the field of running, exemplary character, and exceptional academic record with a GPA of 3.4 and above. We are asking Nevada cross country and track coaches to submit your two nominations via a brief paragraph of 250 words max by May 15, 2023.
We will choose ten finalists by June 1, 2023, and those finalists will have two weeks to submit a 500-word essay about themselves and what makes them exceptional, accompanied by three reference letters. We are particularly interested in how the student athlete has combined their running ability with community involvement and service. Please include your contact information and list which college(s) you are interested in attending and area of study. We will award $1,000 each to one male and one female on July 1, 2023.
This is a one-year scholarship, and will be awarded annually for five years, so we ask coaches to look at those up-and-coming underclassmen and think about your student nominations for the following years.
**Ku Stevens is currently a freshman, enrolled at the University of Oregon, and is a member of the Ducks cross country and track teams. He is the host of the annual 50 mile Remembrance Run which is held in honor of the survivors of Native American boarding schools, and in memory of those children who didn’t make it home. Ku is the subject of the soon to be released documentary film, Remaining Native.
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Submit your nominations to Misty Stevens at sheplaysmisty2@gmail.com.
Please speak with Matt Balzer at Reno Running Company if you would like to make a donation to enhance the scholarship fund.