FLY FISHERS CLUB OF ORANGE COUNTY
RICHARD FANNING MARINE STUDIES SCHOLARSHIP FUND
Scholarship Background
TheFly Fishers Club of Orange County was founded in 1966 to further the sport of Fly Fishing. In addition to being a way to meet others who enjoy the sport, there were three goals in mind when the club was founded:
• Educating the public,
• Conserving the fisheries, and
• Contributing resources to make fly fishing enjoyable and available to all who are interested.
The club has been working hard to meet its goals by sponsoring clinics and workshops, hosting noteworthy speakers, participating in conservation projects, and contributing its resources to various conservation organizations such as the Federation of Fly Fishers and (FFF), Trout Unlimited (TU), Cal Trout, and the Nature Conservancy. In addition, the club contributes to numerous other conservation activities directly beneficial to fly fishing.
Since 2013 the club has made annual scholarships available to CSU students who are studying marine sciences. In 2023, this scholarship was renamed to honor the memory of Richard Fanning, a long time FFCOC member and leader, an advocate for educational opportunity, an avid flyfisher and our good friend, whose companionship, advice, and leadership, both on and off the stream, will long be remembered.
• Two (2) $3,000 scholarships will be awarded for the 2023-2024 academic year.
• Campuses may nominate up to two students who meets the following scholarship criteria.
Applicants must:
- Be in good standing with a minimum GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
- Demonstrate financial need as determined by the campus Financial Aid Office.
- Be currently enrolled as a full-time equivalent undergraduate student in marine-related studies at a CSU campus and must remain a full-time equivalent CSU student during the academic year.
- Or must be currently enrolled as a part-time equivalent graduate student in marine-related studies at a CSU campus and must remain a part-time equivalent CSU graduate student during the academic year.
- Demonstrate a commitment to community service in the fisheries biology field.
Applications are available through the campus Financial Aid Office.
The Financial Aid Office will review applications to ensure that they meet all stated requirements. The campus may submit two (2) applicants for consideration to the CSU Foundation. Completed applications submitted by the campus Financial Aid Office to the CSU Foundation must include the following:
Personal Statement (300 word count for each):
- What experience has impacted your personal growth?
- Tell us about a time you failed. What did you learn from that experience?
- Why are you pursuing your major? How does it relate to your career aspirations?
- Provide an example of service beyond the classroom (i.e., have you taken on significant family obligations, helped others in a specific way, been involved in political action, worked/volunteered/interned at a particular organization, etc.). Why is this example significant to you?
Supplemental Question (300 word count):
- Share your commitment to community service in the fisheries biology field.
If you are interested in this program please contact our Scholarship Chair at Membership@FFCOC.org
First of Two 2023/2024 Scholarships Awarded
The Board of Directors would like to announce that the CSU Scholarship Program has awarded this year’s 2023/2024 FFCOC Scholarship to Amanda Croteau. Amanda was one of three candidates that were up for this scholarship. Amanda currently attends CSU Sacramento and is a Biological Sciences Graduate Student pursuing a Master’s Degree, with expectations of graduating in 2025. Her cumulative GPA is 4.0.
Amanda is highly qualified and well-motivated, having already been published in a scientific journal as an undergraduate. She is pursuing an MS Biology degree with a concentration in Ecology, Evolution and Conservation to advance knowledge in the niche field of marine wildlife c
onservation. She aspires to become a marine scientist for a government agency such as USFWS or NOAA. She has a marine biochemistry thesis project and is currently a USFWS Pathways Intern.
We just recently received her letter of acceptance and appreciation:
Dear Fly Fishers Club of Orange County,
I am writing to thank you for the extremely generous Fly Fishers Club of Orange County Richard Fanning Marine Studies Scholarship. I was very ecstatic to learn that I would be receiving it, and I am very appreciative of your unwavering generosity. Currently a Biology Masters student, I have a deep interest in understanding how anthropogenic activities are affecting California’s aquatic species and how to mitigate these affects. I believe that educating the public is key to providing a deeper sense of connection to the environment and will assist in preserving the health of our fisheries. Currently a Biologist intern at the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, I hope to educate the public and conduct conservation work for years to come. By receiving the Fly Fishers Club of Orange County Richard Fanning Marine Studies Scholarship, you have made it possible for me to continue my studies at Sacramento State and eased my financial burden for the upcoming year. This will allow me to continue to succeed in my classes, without the stressors of school finances. Your generosity has emphasized the importance of giving back to the community and to allow others like me equitable educational opportunities.
Thank you again for choosing me to earn the generous Fly Fishers Club of Orange County Richard Fanning Marine Studies Scholarship. I am eager to uphold your passion for fisheries health to support fly fishers and the general public, and to one day support future students as you have done for me.
Sincerely,
Amanda Croteau
Seeking Additional 2023/2024 Candidates
Thus far, we have seen only one candidate that meets the qualifications for our scholarship. In recent years, CSU has experienced some difficulties finding candidates whose educational interest intersect with the objectives of our club. At our urging, the CSU Foundation that administers the scholarship program has installed a new application pilot in their system to invigorate their solicitation of candidates for our scholarship through the provision of a unique link to our scholarship application. They have also asked CSU COAST, the CSU Council on Ocean Affairs, Science & Technology, to post our scholarship announcement to their website and social media. We are hopeful that these initiatives will prove fruitful in the near term. In addition, we will be working with the CSU Foundation Staff to consider the potential benefits of making some small modification to our candidate criteria.
If our members are aware of potential CSU student candidates for our scholarship, they can encourage candidates to apply via the university website:
https://nextgensso2.com/sp/startSSO.ping?PartnerIdpId=https://idp.calstate.edu/proxy/saml/idp&TargetResource=https%3a%2f%2fcalstate.scholarships.ngwebsolutions.com%2fScholarX_ApplyForScholarship.aspx%3fapplicationformid%3d26578%26AYID%3d1773