Zenobia Todd, Glenwood Springs High School (GSHS) 2026 graduate, was overwhelmed with gratitude at her school’s scholarship award ceremony this past spring. By the end of the evening, the University of Colorado Boulder-bound student had earned an entire year’s worth of tuition.
“I am so, so thankful,” Todd said. “My first year of college is covered by local and community scholarships. It is just so amazing. It was very emotional for my family.”
The night featured over 65 scholarships, including the GSHS Teacher Appreciation Scholarship presented by Western U.S. Teacher Appreciation Charitable Trust (WUTACT). Founded in 2025 by GSHS Spanish Teacher Muriel Moore, WUTACT is a nonprofit that creates and funds merit and need-based postsecondary scholarships for the children of teachers. Todd, daughter of longtime teacher Maggie Riley, had the distinct honor of receiving the $7,000 scholarship.
“Teachers do so much for everyone,” Moore said. “I created these scholarships to help teachers with their own families.”
Moore, who was not involved in the selection process, said the scholarship had some exemplary applicants who demonstrated academic merit and proof of work ethic, but Todd’s required essay about an influential teacher stood out to the selection committee.
“It was the voice of her essay and just how much her social studies teacher Greg Sustad meant to her when it came to creating a passion for learning in her life,” Moore said. “That’s going to stick with her in (the) future, both in her career and as a community member.”
Todd shared that Sustad, who teaches at Colorado Mountain College’s (CMC) annex building near GSHS, introduced her to CMC’s Concurrent Enrollment program. The program allows students to take college courses that count toward a high school diploma and a college degree.
“I really fell in love with CMC and its classes because of him. I graduated with 21 concurrent enrollment credits because he got me so into it,” Todd said. “He’s a passionate teacher and a storyteller … I’m super thankful I took his classes. I’ve learned so much.”
This fall Todd intends to study elementary education. She loves the children’s playfulness and inquisitive nature and feels fortunate to have experienced a taste of the profession while shadowing numerous teachers in the Roaring Fork School District. She also credits her mother for giving her the confidence to pursue the field. Riley was a teacher and counselor at Bridges High School for over 20 years. This fall she will be the Glenwood Springs Middle School counselor.
“I grew up with a mom who loved her job and that made me want to love my job,” Todd said. “She is so passionate about teaching and now she has a private practice in counseling. It makes me excited to be a teacher.”
Reflecting on the type of classroom she hopes to create, Todd noted her experience as the Andy Zanca Youth Empowerment Program (AZYEP) Intern. Alongside AZYEP program director Adele Craft and Sarah Fedishen of CMC, Todd created Soul Connections, a monthly podcast that explores mental health. She said her guests often provide powerful perspectives and opinions that she hopes to use for a dynamic learning environment.
“On our latest episode we interviewed Amanda Petersen, executive director of FocusedKids, who spoke about the importance of learning about the brain and so many other things besides academics in the classroom,” Todd said. “I love learning about new things that I want to use in my future classroom.”
Supporting the backbone of education
Attending CU Boulder was a financial stretch for Todd, but she said her scholarships have relieved some of that stress so she can focus on her studies and hopefully come back to teach in the Valley one day. Her relief is the driving force of WUTACT’s mission to strengthen local education by directly investing in the teachers and children.
“This [scholarship] increases morale for teachers,” Moore said. “They walk into their building and think that one day their kids could go to college for free or get a huge chunk of tuition paid for by this community. That’s saying the community appreciates them and it puts a smile on their face.”
Moore noted that there is not a shortage of people who can be teachers, but instead a shortage of compensation. She envisions the scholarship growing to include more students, which is why she also created the General Scholarship Fund that expands the Teacher Appreciation Scholarship to more communities in need. For Moore, it’s going to take a village.
“It’s so much bigger than our valley and we really want to grow it at GSHS and to offer scholarships at other high schools in this valley and beyond,” Moore said. “We need more businesses, individuals or any organization that believes teachers are so important and that kids like Zenobia belong in this valley as teachers, to do something financially to attract them.”
Western U.S. Teacher Appreciation Charitable Trust accepts donations to the GSHS Teacher Appreciation Scholarship Fund and the General Fund. Please visit westernusteacherappreciation.org to learn more. Catch Zenobia Todd’s podcast Soul Connections at kdnk.org/podcast/soul-connection-an-azyep-podcast