Emily F. Duncan Memorial Scholarship

Emily died on July 29th, 2023 at the age of 21. 68 days prior to her death she was diagnosed with stage 4 colorectal cancer. Emily loved the outdoors and backpacking. There was a special place in her heart for Philmont Scout Ranch, where she went on 2- 12day treks. It was a life changing event for her. On her first trek she was not quite 14. She was the only female participant on the crew, and didn't quite scratch the 5 ft mark in height. The trek we were on pushed all of limits as we trekked over 140 miles traversing the ranch hitting the major peaks. She gained confidence throughout the trek through the many different activities we completed and the difficulty of carrying 50lbs in her pack over unrelenting terrain. She never quit, never complained, but did shed a few tears. Her second trek was also strenuous. this time she lead a full crew of all young women into Vila Vidal. She excelled in her role as crew leader even during some rough times. Life got busy and she didn't do another trek, though she returned to the ranch when we dropping off and picking up her sibling. We would like to honor her with a scholarship at Philmont. To accomplish this, we must have $25,000 to have a named scholarship in honor of Emily. Any donations, big or small are greatly appreciated.