The Levi Scott Dunlap Memorial Scholarship provides a crucial lifeline for Rifle High School graduates in need of financial assistance to pursue higher education and career training opportunities.

Daniel Dunlap, a Rifle resident, started the foundation in 2021. The mission of the scholarship was to honor his late son Levi who unexpectedly passed away in 2013. In other words, its singular purpose is to “keep alive” Levi’s academic legacy and generous spirit, as stated on the foundation’s website.

“It’s just my way of honoring his legacy and helping him not be forgotten,” Dunlap said. “Levi had a big heart and would have helped those needing aid to attend college or vocational school.”

The foundation seeks to assist Rifle High graduates with limited access to funding streams. Many are perhaps the first in their family to pursue secondary education after high school.

“Rifle is not an area with many well-to-do people,” Dunlap said. “There’s a lot of residents struggling to make ends meet while also trying to put their kids through high school. We want to be able to help with those costs.”

Daniel said donations go directly toward helping local youth in desperate financial straits attend career training programs, community colleges or pursue other alternative educational paths. Last year was the Dunlap foundation’s most impactful yet, awarding over $7,500 in scholarships to three deserving Rifle High graduates.

“We gave a young man funds to fully cover his welding certification program and equipment costs at Colorado Mountain College,” Dunlap said. Another recipient received $2,500 toward nursing studies while the third put the funds toward pathology coursework.

One of the 2023 scholarship winners, Kevin Medina, expressed what it meant to be awarded the scholarship.

“Hearing Levi’s story and being awarded the scholarship last year, it meant a lot to know that Mr. (Daniel) Dunlap felt I’m worthy of carrying his son’s legacy forward, Medina said.”

While thankful for generous individual donor support from family and friends throughout the scholarship’s inception in 2021, Daniel Dunlap hopes local businesses will contribute larger sums with the goal of increasing scholarship amounts and the number of recipients annually.

“We tend to favor students wanting two-year degrees, skilled trade certifications or vocational programs,” Dunlap said. “Many other scholarships overlook these kids, but people pursuing alternative non-bachelor’s paths often need help most and lack other opportunities.”

Daniel also said the scholarship aims to assist graduates who have limited access to funding and are first-generation higher education enrollees. 

For more information on the Levi Dunlap Memorial Scholarship, or for those looking to donate to the cause, visit thedunlapfoundation.org.