WNP scholarships

Award Overview

Ernest “Ernie” Quintana held an illustrious 41-year career with the NPS, including a wide array of positions from ranger to associate regional director of partnerships. Quintana created the scholarship with the late Marty Sterkel, whose equally distinguished 33-year career included his role as associate director of national resources, science, and partnerships in the NPS’ Midwest region.

This scholarship continues Quintana and Sterkel’s dedicated work bringing diverse communities to the national parks across the country.

Learn the scholarship's history

Eligibility

This scholarship is intended for high school seniors and current undergraduate and graduate students who are pursuing or planning careers in the NPS, similar government agencies, or nonprofit heritage conservation organizations. Applicants must be committed to increasing diversity in the public lands workforce and expanding access to national parks.

Applicants are expected to have completed, or be currently in, an internship, structured volunteer program, or seasonal position with the NPS, a park-adjacent organization, or a similar organization. Each should have a defined role, set dates, and a supervisor or coordinator. Applicants without this experience are welcome to apply, but may be less competitive in the selection process.

Award Details

Awards: Two $2,500 scholarships will be awarded. Full payment will be processed within 14 business days upon electronic acceptance of the grant award.

Use of Funds: Funds must be used for educational expenses directly related to park management or conservation, including internships, college or university tuition, training or certification programs, and other educational opportunities such as workshops or field courses. Funds support upcoming opportunities and do not reimburse past expenses or activities that have already been completed. Conferences, organization memberships, books, materials, and equipment are not eligible. All funded activities must have a defined start date and an estimated completion date, and the estimated completion date cannot be on or prior to February 21, 2027. An opportunity you are currently in may be funded if it continues beyond that date.

Follow-Up: WNP may contact recipients for updates on educational progress and scholarship impact.

Submissions

You must submit a completed online application form and a signed letter of recommendation from a professional reference, on organization letterhead if available. The letter must be a PDF, and a scanned or electronic signature is acceptable. Applications submitted in any other format will not be accepted. If you do not have access to a computer, please contact us.

Apply  

Selection Process and Timeline

Program criteria have been established by WNP. Submissions are reviewed and scored by a WNP Selection Committee. The selection process ensures fair consideration and equal opportunity for all applicants.

Applications Open: October 6, 2026

Application Deadline: December 11, 2026 (end of day)

Recipients Notified: Week of February 15, 2027

Questions

Please contact us with any questions regarding this program.

Applicant Toolkit

Before Starting Your Application

• Sample Application Form: Review all questions and requirements
• Evaluation Criteria: See how applications are scored
• Navigating the Online Application: Pointers for using the online application
• Sample Award Letter: View what recipients sign upon selection
• About WNP: Learn about our mission and partner parks
• Past Recipients: Meet scholarship alumni and read their stories

What You’ll Need

• Information about your school or program, and your internship, structured volunteer program, or seasonal position.
• Details about the opportunity this scholarship will support, including the name, dates, and a contact person.
• If you are currently in an opportunity that continues after February 21, 2027, it can serve as both your experience and the opportunity this scholarship will support.
• A signed letter of recommendation from a professional reference, saved as a PDF (see format and naming convention in sample application).

Tips for a Strong Application

• Prepare Thoughtfully: Review all application questions in advance and prepare responses that clearly demonstrate your commitment to increasing diversity in the public lands workforce and expanding access to national parks.
• Be Specific: Use concrete examples from your internship, volunteer program, or seasonal position to illustrate your points.
• Connect to the Mission: Clearly explain how your background and goals align with creating positive experiences for diverse audiences in national parks and heritage conservation.

• Professional Reference: Choose someone who knows your work or academic performance well and can speak to your qualifications and potential impact.

  Apply  

Application

• To properly prepare your scholarship application, refer to the application packet for a copy of the electronic form.
• The information supplied is limited to the space provided and submitted on the electronic form.
• A letter of recommendation from a WNP manager or executive leader is a required upload.
  • File must be a PDF
  • Before uploading, name the file as follows: your firstname.lastname.pepe | Example: john.smith.pepe

Award

• Multiple scholarship awards are possible.
• Funding amount will vary depending on the program or certification being pursued. Therefore, there is no limit on the amount of requested funding.

Eligibility

Applicants must be employed by Western National Parks as a full or part-time team member at the time of application and award notification.

Qualified Use of Scholarship Funds

The scholarship can be used for leadership or professional development training or to support an experience, such as a job, trade, or other endeavors of inquiry, study, or another form of engagement that develops skills, knowledge, or experience relevant to the missions of WNP and the National Park Service.

Recipient Requirements

• Scholarship recipients are required to submit a final report to WNP within 60 days of the completion date stated in the application. Review the recipient final report sample in the application packet.
• Recipients will receive 95 percent of the scholarship award in advance, with the remaining 5 percent paid upon fulfillment of the final report requirement.
• Failure to meet the final report requirement within the allocated time frame will result in a forfeiture of all unpaid funds.

Selection and Notification Process

• Criteria for this program has been established by Western National Parks.
• Submissions will be reviewed in the order received and scored by an internal committee of senior leaders and directors.
• Applicants will be notified of the funding decision within 20-days from the date of submission.

Submission Process

• All submissions must be completed through the WNP web portal.
• Applications received in any other format will not be accepted.
• If you do not have access to a computer and would like to submit an application, contact us.

WNP fully supports diversity, equality, and inclusion. The selection process respects all individuals and gives all applicants equal opportunity.

Timeline

Submissions for the 2025 fiscal year funding cycle will be accepted from October 1, 2024 until September 30, 2025 or until the allocated funding is exhausted.