Photo Courtesy of Amanda Bowering

Reaching for the Stars

Amanda Bowering lands a national scholarship from the NWTF.

Amanda Bowering is star struck. But not by the Hollywood crowd of her native California. Astronauts have always captured her attention; so much she even attended astronaut camp at the University of California-San Diego. Now, with assistance from the NWTF, Bowering will follow her dreams by attending Georgia Tech to major in aeronautical engineering.

The Hesperia, Calif., teen was awarded the $10,000 NWTF national scholarship during a Senior Night ceremony in May.

In addition to maintaining a 4.0 grade point average, Bowering volunteers her time helping those in her community and holds positions in several school organizations such as the National Honor Society and Key Club.

The NWTF has awarded nearly $3 million in academic scholarships since 1999.

She’s also an avid hunter, who attributes her love of the outdoors to her father. Daniel Bowering took his daughter on a hunting trip when she was 11.

“My father proved to me that an appreciation for nature can open our eyes to a world that many people fail to recognize,” Bowering said. “Where many families go on elaborate vacations to foreign lands and expensive places, Dad showed us how pitching a tent in the middle of nowhere can be just as fulfilling.”

Bowering also received $250 local and $1,000 state scholarships from the NWTF. Federation scholarships benefit youth with a commitment to conservation and preserving the hunting tradition, and recipients may pursue any type of degree they wish. The scholarship program is part of the NWTF’s Five-Star program, making $500,000 available each year to graduating seniors throughout the United States by awarding more than 800 scholarships annually.

“Amanda is a special young lady who is a winner in every sense of the word,” said Christine Rolka, NWTF Education Director. “I know she will continue doing a great job representing the NWTF, just as she already has as a JAKES member for the past few years.”

FYI > Another Californian with lofty ambitions, in 1983, Sally Ride became the first American woman and youngest American (at the time) to enter space.

Bowering’s high school guidance counselor, Kimberlee Falahee, added that Amanda knows no boundaries or barriers and works hard to achieve her goals. “Amanda is a very determined young woman, an excellent scholar and a very well-rounded person,” Falahee said.

Applicants are judged on their scholastic achievements, leadership abilities, community involvement and demonstrated commitment to conservation. The winners of the local chapter scholarship are then eligible for consideration of the state award and finally, state winners are eligible for the NWTF’s national scholarship of $10,000.