Community News

Young fly fisher wins Trout Unlimited scholarship

Zoe Mihalas fishes on a river.

By Lightning Reports, Published: August 14, 2020

A recent graduate of Brevard High School and incoming freshman at the University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee, has been named the 2020 recipient of the Pisgah Chapter of Trout Unlimited William L. Arbuckle Memorial Scholarship in the amount of $1,000.

Zoe Mihalas has grown up in the fly fishing and trout community – a community she says empowered and molded her into the person she is today.

“I found a place in this world that I can make big changes, even at a young age and my career goal now is to do the same for others, through environmental and coldwater conservation.”
Coming from generations of activists and educators Zoe has always known that she would spend her time striving to improve the world, but it wasn't until becoming involved with Trout Unlimited that she ever considered that a career in coldwater conservation could be that path of helping make the world a better place.
Through membership on the Trout Unlimited National Youth Leadership Council she discovered her love of working with others to protect and restore North America's coldwater fisheries. In addition to receiving The Pisgah Chapter of Trout Unlimited William L. Arbuckle Memorial Scholarship, Zoe is also a 2018 recipient of Trout Unlimited’s National Award for Distinguished Service in Youth Education which recognizes the fundamental importance of creating a new generation of conservationists in a manner that sustains the organization’s conservation legacy.
Upon arriving at Sewanee this Fall, Zoe will begin her education journey towards a degree in Environmental Studies with an eventual career goal of working in coldwater conservation with Trout Unlimited. “The fields of fisheries and wildlife, aquaculture, and freshwater biology are so undeniably important due to humanity's reliance on and love of our planet's natural resources,” states Zoe. “These fields are essential and we must conserve, protect, and restore America’s coldwater fisheries.”

The Pisgah Chapter of Trout Unlimited William L. Arbuckle Memorial Scholarship is a scholarship fund of the Community Foundation of Henderson County and was established in 2006 by The Pisgah Chapter of Trout Unlimited to honor the memory of William “Bill” L. Arbuckle, an avid angler, supporter and former director of The Pisgah Chapter of Trout Unlimited. Mr. Arbuckle contributed much of his time, talent and resources to the success of the chapter.
The $1,000 scholarship is offered for any student accepted to an accredited degree granting college or university within the Southern Appalachian Region. Recipients must be pursuing an undergraduate or graduate degree in the field of fisheries and wildlife, aquaculture, freshwater biology, or other related fields. This scholarship is open to students pursuing community college, college or university degrees in the fields related above. Applications are typically accepted each spring and are posted on Community Foundation’s website at www.cfhcforever.org.
About Community Foundation of Henderson County
Founded in 1982, Community Foundation of Henderson County’s mission is helping people who care make lasting contributions to causes that matter. CFHC accepts gifts from individuals, families, businesses and organizations to create a permanent pool of charitable capital from which grants are awarded. Learn more about Community Foundation of Henderson County at www.cfhcforever.org, and by calling (828) 697-6224.