STATELINE, Nev. – Lake Tahoe Community College graduate Yuliana Rosales is heading to her dream school this fall with the assistance of the Gene Upshaw Memorial Scholarship. The born and raised South Lake Tahoe local and South Tahoe High School graduate is this year’s recipient of the $10,000 scholarship, awarded at the American Century Championship on Saturday, July 12.

Rosales graduated from LTCC this spring and will be attending UC Davis in the fall to pursue economics with an emphasis in international business economics.

She hopes to use her degree to help people navigate complex and confusing financial systems.

“I’ve experienced and seen firsthand just how overwhelming they can be, especially when there’s a lack of access and lack of information, or [a] language barrier,” she expressed. She hopes to reduce those barriers and make it easier for people to reach their goals.

Rosales is the first person in her family to pursue higher education. “My parents did not get the chance, but throughout everything, they have made sure that me and my younger brother would.”

The Gene Upshaw Memorial Scholarship Fund Award is an annual award presented during American Century Championship in honor of Pro Football Hall-of-Famer Gene Upshaw who resided in the Tahoe area before his passing in 2008. Upshaw played in the tournament 15 years.

Gary Quinn, NBC Vice President of programming and general manager, remembered Upshaw at the scholarship ceremony as a man who was larger than life and reflected on the positive impact he had in his own life and others. At his passing, Quinn inquired on how continue his legacy within the community and at the event he cherished. That goal turned into this scholarship with the help of Upshaw’s wife, Terri Upshaw.

“Gene loved this event,” she said. “He loved this community.”

His wife said Upshaw would always look out for the youth inside and outside of the football community. “It was always about paying it forward,” she said.

Rosales acknowledged that about Upshaw and hopes to carry forward Upshaw’s community leadership and integrity of putting others first.

She hopes to come back to the South Tahoe, where her dads was also raised, and the help her home community. “I want to help other people that I know, and help them navigate through this crazy world that we live in and just give back.”

LTCC Foundation executive director Nancy Harrison announced this is the third year the scholarship has gone to a LTCC student and is the biggest single scholarship for the LTCC foundation.

The first scholarship recipient, Richard Salazar, graduated from Cal State San Bernardino this spring with his bachelor’s degree and is pursuing a masters. Salazar, who spent 17 years in prison, is now working with formerly incarcerated individuals to help them acclimate to life outside of prison.

Last year’s recipient, Kettja Bennett, is on an accelerated track to graduate next spring with an engineering degree from the University of Nevada, Reno.

“This scholarship is making such a huge impact on these students,” Harrison said.