2023 Recipient

My name is Tina Cuva-Scheible and it is with great honor and sorrow that I write you this letter. I would first like to express my admiration towards you and the opportunity you are providing students through this scholarship in your son's name. This is a privilege I truly appreciate having the blessing to be a part of through you and my mentor, Jim McClenahan.

I am a first year business major at the University of Nevada, Reno. I come from Las Vegas, Nevada and I’m the child of a seemingly normal, upper-class, family. On the outside, I achieved above and beyond my fellow classmates and presented as a generally active and happy kid. I graduated with an advanced honors diploma, 13/500+ students in my class, a 4.75 weighted GPA, and a laundry list of other things. I played competitive soccer for fourteen years and often found myself succeeding most when I had lots to balance.

I had an incident my sophomore year of high school which led me to see a counselor to help me make peace with the events and to rebuild myself internally. I focused hard on school and athletics in search of fulfillment. I graduated in the middle of a global pandemic with more accomplishments than I thought I was capable of. Since then I have faced several more uphill battles, and I continue to persevere. 

Since moving to Reno I have gotten a job under Jim McClenahan at The University of Nevada, Reno at the Career and Corporate Outreach Center, continued to grow into a resilient young adult, challenged myself to be more social, and finished my first semester of college. I have learned that it is okay to go at your own pace and to not compare myself to the speeds of those around me. I continue to fight my battles every day because I will always persevere. Receiving this scholarship would not only be an accomplishment and receive but further proof that I refuse to let the parameters of my situation hold me back, that I will excel no matter my environment. I would use this scholarship to continue my education at The University of Nevada, receiving my bachelor’s in Management, and possibly pursue my MBA. 

Thank you again for your generosity in creating this scholarship and for considering me for this opportunity, it is not one I’ve taken lightly.