2015 MATT BARTLETT MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP
This scholarship program was established with the generosity and support of family, friends, and acquaintances of Matt Bartlett, Class of ’99. ‘Bart,’ as he was known to many, was born and raised in Reno and left a lasting impact on many in our community. The purpose of this scholarship is to commemorate our friend who passed away from heart complications his freshman year of college
For almost 15 years we’ve awarded exceptional men and women from Reno High School with the Matt Bartlett Memorial Scholarship. Recipients are selected by a committee, including his family and a group of men and women who were close to Matt throughout his life. The committee is looking for scholarship applicants who are well-rounded, have demonstrated the ability to work hard, appreciate life, and whose approach to life honors Matt’s spirit.
THE APPLICATION
We developed a set of questions and prompts with the goal of discovering Reno High Seniors whose lives we would like to enhance with a donation to their continuing education. This application was created with the hope that it be used as a platform to express yourself, to reveal your personality, and to engage us, the committee. We are not your parents, your English teacher, or the police. We are interested in who you really are, so please be as open with us as necessary and engage us fully.
We ask that you also complete a RHS general scholarship application and include it with your answers to the attached questions. This adds a formal background to our unusual engagement with you. (If you’ve already completed an RHS application, just make a copy.)
The deadline for submission is January 20th, 2015. Please answer the attached questions, attach a copy of the RHS app, and return them to the College and Career Center at Reno High by 7:40 a.m. 1/20/15.
Questions? Please call 747-6949.
For the Application that follows please answer one question in Part I, complete Part II and Part III is optional.
Thank you,
The Matt Bartlett Scholarship Committee
Part I – Write a response to ONE of the prompts below:
Differences
“Getting caught up in the rat race leads to monotony and a lack of variety. Each day I should try to do something I’ve never done.” – Matt Bartlett 2/97.
“Probably because of silly childhood ambition, I really believe that I can make a difference in the world.” - 8/97
“More than anything, I don’t want to be funneled into a world of monotony and conformity” - 11/99
1. If one does any self analysis, it’s quickly apparent that although we look different, think different thoughts, and live different lives, it’s very hard to separate ourselves from the horde.
Passions
“I like skiing. I like going as fast as you can down a freshly groomed mountain until you start to cry. I like powder days where the skiing is effortless. I like skiing while it’s snowing, that’s always the perfect temperature. I like eating a hot lunch when every part of your body is cold and tired. I like tearing up my knees in the moguls” - 10/98
2. Passion seems a common thread amongst all happy people. It can overcome the fear of jumping into something new and engage the heart for the necessary “long-haul” mentality of any great challenge. Passion was a gift that Matt brought to every adventure. He seemed to never sleep and to somehow run on his own energy wave. Whether it was a day of knee-beater moguls or a night of dancing at a festival, Matt’s passion built a positive feedback loop stimulating himself by energizing those around him.
Can you teach a person to be passionate? Where does passion come from, and where does it go?
“It’s all about efficiency.” – Matt Bartlett 1/00.
Part II – Write a one word response to each of the following:
1.Character from fiction
2.Historical figure
3.Dream job
4.Try
5.Fear
6.Implement
7.Website
8.Food
9.Event in history
10.Invention
11.Extracurricular
12.Quote
13.Book
14.Film
15.Song
16.Artist / musician
17.Nightmare Job
18.Trust
19.21st Century Scientist
20.Pick a word, any word
Part III – Your Creative Side (optional)
“You get the impression when watching extremely experienced musicians that they no longer play the music, but rather the music plays them.” – Matt Bartlett 11/98. Music, art, creativity were a huge part of Matt’s life and enrich our own lives. Submit something from your creative side. If you’re an artist, please send us a copy of your work (it will, however, NOT be returned, so keep your original). It can be a poem, a painting, musical score, recordings, song lyrics, Youtube clip…whatever. If you don’t care to send your own work, feel free to send along something created by someone else that you think is particularly interesting or inspiring.
Thecommittee thanks you for your time. We leave you with a gift - a short poem from Matt we’ve always enjoyed:
The Card Game
The cards are dealt
All have different hands
Bets placed, stakes high,
Some fold,
Some persist.
All don’t know,
But I’m bluffing my way
To the jackpot.
Matt Bartlett, December 1999