Piper Renea Faust Memorial Scholarship

The China Lake Museum Foundation (CLMF) is proud to continue the establishment of the Piper Renea Faust Memorial Scholarship.  Piper passed away on March 18, 2017 at the young age of 10 as a result of injuries suffered in a horse riding accident at a barrel racing event in Caldwell, Texas.  She is the daughter of CLMF Life Members Brian and Rhonda (Stroud) Faust and the Granddaughter of Wayne and Patsy Doucette.  Piper was one of our 2016 Dinner Auction Vanna Whites. 

      Piper was a young lady who was full of life, very outgoing, and a friend to everyone she met.  She was very involved in her church, Sunday school programs, and even sang a solo before the church congregation the Sunday prior to her passing.  She excelled in her academic school work, which included three years on the University Interscholastic League (UIL) Storying Telling Team, was in Art Club and sang in the choir.  Additionally, she was a member of the Texas Burleson County 4-H Club and showed rabbits and commercial heifers at the Burleson County Fair.  Piper loved to sing and dance and would light up the stage when performing both solo and group dances at various competitions.  She was extremely competitive playing little league and select tournament softball, which carried over to her love of barrel racing and she had aspirations to qualify for the Junior National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas, NV.

      She was nine years old when she proudly carried the live auction items at the 2016 CLMF Dinner Auction.  We were short a Vanna White that evening and Piper told her grandmother “Grandma, let me do it, I have stage presence.”  That she had, and an excellent job she did as our little Vanna White.

      This memorial scholarship was originally established in 2018 by Wayne and Patsy Doucette in Piper’s memory.  She was such a loving, outgoing, friendly, and competitive young lady whose accomplishments at such a young age should be a goal for all to follow.

Application Form

***Scholarship only available to Seniors at Sherman E. Burroughs High School***

Application (PDF)

DEADLINE: 

Application must be postmarked no-later-than April 8, 2024.

The scholarship of $500.00 is provided by the China Lake Museum Foundation (CLMF), a non-profit organization. 

 The applicant must be a graduating Sherman E. Burroughs High School senior who intends to pursue a career in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) profession, and must be a U.S. Citizen/Permanent Resident and a California resident. 

 Please complete all parts of the attached application in ink.  Mail the application along with the requested items listed in the following paragraph and subparagraphs to the address at the bottom of this page. You may also hand deliver the completed application packet to the China Lake Museum at 130 E. Las Flores Ave., Ridgecrest.

The completed application must include each of the following:

      a.  The application form, all sections must be completed.
      b.  An essay (typed of approximately 200 words) stating your goals, how high school and other activities have prepared you, and why you think you will meet these goals.
     c.  A letter of reference from a high school teacher, counselor or principal, or a clergyman who has known you for at least one year.
    d.  A letter of reference from a business or professional person in your community who has known you for at least one year.
    e.  A copy of your formal high school student transcript.

Mail to:  ATTN: Scholarship Chairman
               China Lake Museum Foundation
               130 E. Las Flores Ave
               Ridgecrest, CA 93555-3654