New LTCC Earth Science Scholarship Honors Former Instructor

Lake Tahoe Community College has started a brand-new scholarship in honor of a former instructor who passed away in late May. The Carl Young Memorial Earth Science Scholarship is being established to honor the meteorology teacher, who died when he and two colleagues were chasing tornadoes just outside Oklahoma City.

This new Earth Science scholarship will be the first of its kind at LTCC according to geology and earth science instructor Scott Valentine, who worked with Mr. Young’s parents to establish the scholarship.

“I know that it was the result of a few classes and an influential instructor at LTCC that helped guide Carl towards his passions.  I hope that a scholarship in Carl's honor can help guide future students and ease the financial burden of higher education.”

In addition to being a popular and respected teacher, Mr. Young also received the Distinguished Alumni Award from LTCC in 2010 for his accomplishments in his field and his impact on the Tahoe region. He was also a former program manager at the League to Save Lake Tahoe for 5 years.

Mr. Young, his longtime research partner Tim Samaras, and Tim’s son, Paul Samaras, died while collecting data on tornadoes in Oklahoma. They were tracking an EF-5 tornado when the funnel – the largest ever recorded - swept them up. All three men were veteran storm chasers and tornado researchers who worked together on “Storm Chasers,” a Discovery Channel show that ran for five seasons.

For more information about the Carl Young Memorial Earth Science Scholarship and how to donate to it, please contact Foundation Director Peter Bostic at (530) 541-4660 ext. 245, or email him at Bostic@ltcc.edu.