The CCL at Lake Forest Open Lands Association awards scholarship to six students
The Center for Conservation Leadership at Lake Forest Open Lands Association has awarded the Susie Hoffmann Scholarship for Nature and Conservation to six graduating high school seniors from across Lake County. Now in its second year, the scholarship expanded to include additional schools and partner organizations this year, with each student receiving a $1,500 award recognizing their commitment to environmental stewardship, leadership, and community.
The scholarship honors Susie Hoffmann, founding director of the Center for Conservation Leadership, who built the program on a simple and enduring belief: that a young person who experiences nature deeply will spend a lifetime protecting it.
This year’s recipients are: Tiffani Skinner and Ismail Hussaini of Waukegan High School, Ethan Ziperstein of Lake Forest High School, Sophia Patino of Woodlands Academy of the Sacred Heart, Jeremiah Maalik McDonald of Waukegan to College and Ignacio Orozco III of Cristo Rey St. Martin College Prep.
Each recipient shares a deep connection to the natural world and a vision for protecting it, from water policy and ecopsychology to wildlife biology and community-led conservation. Several are CCL program participants, including alumni of the Yellowstone Stewardship Experience and members of the Youth Environmental Leadership Council, and one will continue with CCL this summer through the Eco-Ambassador internship.
Upon receiving the award, the students expressed deep gratitude.
“I am honored to receive this award and very grateful for your support,” said Ethan Ziperstein.
“Without a doubt, I will continue to live a life centered around conservation.” Sophia Patino said, “I am so incredibly grateful and filled with joy to be the recipient of such a special scholarship.”
Jeremiah Maalik McDonald offered simple and heartfelt thanks: “Thank you for investing so much in my community and me.”
This year’s expanded scholarship was made possible by a generous donor who chose to honor Susie Hoffmann’s legacy.
“It was important to me to keep Susie’s legacy alive, and this was a simple yet meaningful way to honor her dedication and hard work,” the donor said. “Her influence continues to ripple outward through the educators she inspired and the countless children they reach, many of whom might not have had the opportunity to connect with nature.”
For Julia Lunn, only the second director in CCL’s history, the scholarship carries special meaning.
“Susie helped shape so much of what CCL is today, and the work I am privileged to continue,” Lunn said. “Her belief that a young person who experiences nature deeply will spend a lifetime protecting it guides everything we do. It is a privilege to support these remarkable Lake County youth, and to know that through them, both nature and community will continue to thrive.”
For more information about Lake Forest Open Lands Association, visit LFOLA.org. For more information about The Center for Conservation Leadership, visit lfola.org/ccl.