10/06/2026
PRESS RELEASE — Mammoth Lakes Foundation Announces Inaugural Gary McCoy Next-Mile Scholarship Recipients
The Mammoth Lakes Foundation (MLF) is proud to announce Jake Castro and Kimberly Jaimes Vargas as the inaugural recipients of the Gary McCoy Next-Mile Scholarship, with each receiving $10,000 for the 2026–2027 academic year to support the completion of their undergraduate studies.
Launched earlier this year in memory of longtime Mammoth Lakes Foundation leader and community advocate Gary McCoy, the Next-Mile Scholarship expands MLF’s commitment to local students by supporting their next steps beyond community college, including four-year degrees, career and technical education, and workforce pathways.
For its first two recipients, that next mile follows two very different and unconventional educational journeys. Both Jake and Kimberly found support and encouragement within the Eastern Sierra that helped shape where they are today, and both share a strong desire to use their education and skills to give back to the community that invested in them.
Carlos Jacob “Jake” Castro is pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science through California State University, Monterey Bay’s online program while working full time and raising two young children with his wife.
Jake’s path through college has not been a straight line. After struggling academically during his first semester at Cerro Coso Community College in fall 2018, he came to believe college simply was not for him. With encouragement from MLF to give higher education another chance, Jake returned with a new sense of purpose. Becoming a husband and father further strengthened that determination, and today he balances the responsibilities of work, family, and a rigorous computer science program while continuing toward his degree.
Jake’s goal is to become a software engineer and eventually earn a master’s degree in computer science. Having grown up in a rural community where exposure to technology careers can be limited, he hopes to use his education to create opportunities for others in the Eastern Sierra through student mentorship, coding workshops, hackathons, and partnerships with local schools and organizations.
“The Mammoth Lakes Foundation took the time to believe in me and encourage me to continue my education when I was ready to give up,” Jake wrote in his scholarship application. “That support changed the direction of my life.”
Now, Jake hopes to pay that support forward by creating “opportunities for future generations of students in the Eastern Sierra, particularly those who may not have access to the resources, mentorship, or exposure needed to explore careers in technology.”
Kimberly Jaimes Vargas also took an unconventional path to higher education. A first-generation college student, Kimberly graduated early from Mammoth High School and joined MLF’s Dave’s Scholars program in spring 2025. That same spring, she graduated from Cerro Coso Community College with several associate degrees before turning 18 and transferred to the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR).
Now at UNR, Kimberly is studying Political Science and International Affairs with a minor in Spanish and plans to attend law school. Although she moved quickly through high school and community college, Kimberly describes much of that experience as learning how to navigate higher education as she went. She credits Cerro Coso, Dave’s Scholars, faculty, and mentors with helping her understand everything from financial aid and transfer requirements to opportunities she may not have discovered on her own.
Those experiences have shaped what Kimberly wants to do with her education. Inspired in part by her father’s career in construction, she has developed an interest in construction law and hopes to return to Mammoth Lakes as an attorney, using her education and Spanish-language skills to advocate for workers and make legal services more accessible. She also wants to mentor other local and first-generation students as they find their own paths through college.
“Sometimes, having one person explain a financial aid form, encourage you to apply for an opportunity, or simply remind you that you belong can change the direction of a student’s education and confidence,” Kimberly wrote. “I want to be that person for someone else.”
“Jake and Kimberly are exactly the kind of students we hoped this scholarship would help,” said Elizabeth Root, Executive Director of the Mammoth Lakes Foundation. “Their paths are very different, but both demonstrate that there is no single way to pursue an education. What they share is an understanding of how powerful it can be when someone invests in you, encourages you, or helps you see an opportunity you might not have seen on your own. We are incredibly proud that they both already see their education as something they can use to lift up others in the Eastern Sierra.”
The Gary McCoy Next-Mile Scholarship was established following Gary’s passing in April as a way to carry forward his commitment to the Mammoth Lakes Foundation, education, and the Eastern Sierra. Awards of up to $10,000 per academic year help Mono County students continue their education beyond Cerro Coso and may support tuition, fees, books, supplies, equipment, transportation, living expenses, and other educational costs. Students pursuing four-year degrees as well as career and technical education and workforce training programs are eligible for support.
“Gary believed deeply in this community and in giving people the opportunity to succeed,” Root said. “There is something especially meaningful about honoring him through students like Jake and Kimberly. They have each benefited from people in this community believing in them, and they are already thinking about how they can extend that same support to those who come after them. That is a legacy we are very proud to carry forward in Gary’s name.”
About the Mammoth Lakes Foundation
Founded in 1989 by Dave and Roma McCoy and a group of community members, the Mammoth Lakes Foundation supports higher education and cultural enrichment in the Eastern Sierra. MLF helped bring community college education to Mammoth Lakes and today continues that legacy through scholarships, student support, community partnerships, and investment in educational opportunities for local students.
Community members who would like to support the Gary McCoy Next-Mile Scholarship and help local students continue their education can make a gift through the Mammoth Lakes Foundation.
Learn more or donate: www.mammothlakesfoundation.org
Phone: (760) 934-3781
Email: [email protected]
Mail: P.O. Box 1815, Mammoth Lakes, CA 93546
The Mammoth Lakes Foundation is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt California Public Benefit Corporation. Federal Tax ID #77-0245395.
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