The Dustin Tannenhaus
LEGACY SCHOLARSHIP
The Dustin Tannenhaus Legacy Scholarship honors Dustin's dedication to academics and athletics by supporting soccer players from low-income families in San Diego County. Scholarships range from $250-$1,000. Recipients can use the funds for college application fees, tutoring, tuition, and educational materials.
HOW TO APPLY
Click the button below to access the application form. The application asks questions regarding your athletic experience and accomplishments, your family’s financial situation (confidential), your academic standing, postsecondary aspirations, and the community impact you hope to have in the future.
The Class of 2025 application deadline was October 31st, 2024. Please check back in the fall of 2025 for future scholarship opportunities.
Class of 2025 | SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS
Larissa G - Chula Vista High School
“I have been playing soccer since I was seven, dedicating my time to training, practices, and games. Since my freshman year, I have played as both a center-attacking midfielder and a defensive midfielder for Rebels Soccer Club and the Chula Vista Varsity Girls Soccer Team. This position has allowed me to contribute to my high school teams' successes, including winning the All-Metro League championship and earning recognition on the Pacific All-League Second Team. I have also volunteered as an assistant coach for the Golden Eagles Soccer Club, where I mentored young athletes to improve their soccer IQ and critical thinking both on and off the field. My focus is on fostering personal growth and creating a safe environment for the players. Being both a player and a coach has deepened my understanding of the game, highlighting the importance of teamwork, leadership, and strategy both on and off the field.”
Larissa completed 10 AP classes and three college courses, earning a 4.1 weighted GPA. She has committed to the University of California at Santa Barbara (UCSB) as a Pre-Psychological and Brain Sciences major. What most impressed us is Larissa’s drive to help others.
“Growing up in a single-parent household, I’ve faced my fair share of challenges, and those experiences have fueled my passion for helping others navigate their own struggles. Giving back has always been important to me, and I hope to help create an environment where everyone feels understood and valued. Ultimately, my goal is to empower individuals to embrace their identities, overcome obstacles, and contribute positively to our community, ultimately creating a more compassionate and resilient society.”
Anthony M - Southwest High
“Soccer has been my life. I started playing when I was only 4 years old and since then, I haven't stopped playing. I started playing in a league from Tijuana and was lucky enough to be selected to represent Tijuana in plenty of state and national tournaments, allowing me to travel almost all over Mexico. Later in my life I moved to the United States and started playing here, where I was able to win State Cup twice.”
Anthony will be studying engineering at UC San Diego this fall. He hopes to be so successful that he inspires others in his community to follow his path. For Anthony, success isn’t only defined by financial achievement, it is about being happy with the person you are and having the people you love in your life. He wants the younger generation to be proud of where they came from and to know that they can succeed in what they are passionate about.
Brianna S - Hilltop High School
“My life has revolved around soccer since I was a little girl and I truly believe that it is what has kept me grounded. Soccer has taught me to persevere through obstacles. It is undeniable that it has a big part in shaping me into who I am today.”
“My postsecondary aspiration is to become a Pediatric Nurse. Early into my teenage years I had learned that I love environments where I am around children. As I started to take more courses that revolved around the human body and the mind, I ended up finding my true passion in medicine. I understand that this will be a long and tough path, but I am ready to take the struggles and power through them.”
Brianna enrolled in five AP classes and earned a 4.0 GPA. She will continue her education at San Diego State University in the fall as a Psychology major.
Lilia A - Chula Vista High School
“During my sophomore year I was one of the six girls from my school team that won a Metro Pacific League Award. During my junior year, our school’s soccer team was undefeated and we won the Pacific League. This was the first time in our school’s history that the girls soccer team became champions. Making history made me realize that everything is possible with a lot of effort. I had been going through injuries during my journey but that didn’t stop me from achieving my soccer goals. Those injuries that I went through taught me that I had to keep a positive mindset and to come back even stronger.”
Academically, Lilia is in the top 15% of her graduating class. She completed eight AP classes, earning Principal’s Honor Roll, and is a California Scholarship Federation member. She will continue her studies at San Diego State University as a Psychology major with a minor in Spanish. She plans to work in the mental health field.
Maria A - Madison High School
“I have always strived to challenge myself in all aspects of life. Academically, I made sure to perform to the best of my ability. The majority of my classes have been accelerated and advanced and I have also taken eight college classes. Throughout high school, I have maintained an average weighted GPA of 4.1 all while balancing soccer at school and in club. I have volunteered as an assistant coach for a local middle school team, allowing me to share my knowledge of soccer with younger girls. On and off the field, I am very determined and dedicated to all I do. I aspire to challenge myself in any way I can because I want to learn and grow.”
Maria will be attending Point Loma Nazarene University in the fall and majoring in Nursing. She plans on becoming a Registered Nurse and specializing in Pediatric Oncology. Maria also dreams of starting an affordable, woman-led organization in her community to empower young girls from different backgrounds to have more opportunities in - and knowledge of - the medical field.
Class of 2024 | SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS
DIEGO | San Diego State University
Diego is our third student athlete from Southwest High School to earn a Dustin Tannenhaus Memorial Scholarship! In 9th grade, during virtual schooling due to COVID, Diego's grades weren't where he wanted them. He decided to double down on himself, enrolling in 4 AP classes junior year and another 4 AP classes his senior year of high school. Diego earned a 4.3 GPA his senior year, demonstrating persistence and an ability to overcome adversity.
Diego has an unwavering passion for soccer and strives to be the best at everything he does, adding "I owe that partly to the way my parents raised me." He will be attending San Diego State in the fall and majoring in software engineering with the goal of working toward a career in software development. "I want future generations to be proud of where they came from and be the example that even growing up in our area, we too can excel."
SHARLYN | San Diego State Univesrsity
Southwest High grad, Sharlyn, earned a $500 scholarship! She amazed the Just4Dust advisory board with her academic achievements and her desired impact in her community. She finished high school with an impressive 4.2 GPA, enrolling in numerous honors and AP classes and a college class while in high school.
Sharlyn demonstrates maturity and introspection, stating “I believe that what makes me the person I am today is playing soccer with new people over the years, learning to adjust to my environment, and knowing what my priorities are in life.”
She seeks to eventually bring more women into the sports community. “I have become a girl’s soccer coach for the middle school I attended. As I helped those middle school girls improve their skills with my 13+ years of soccer experience, I have become a role model for them. I’ve focused on teaching them that while working hard, you will always have fun when you’re doing the thing you love.” Sharlyn has committed Webers Honors College at San Diego State & we look forward to hearing about her continued success!
NATHAN | San Diego State University
Southwest High School graduate, Nathan, was recently awarded a $1,000 scholarship for his academic & athletic excellence. This past season, he helped his high school team make it to the Open Division CIF quarter finals (the first time in 10 years). He was nominated top goal scorer in the league and made the 1st Team Metro Mesa League. In addition to his athletic accomplishments, Nathan has thrived academically with a 4.3 GPA.
What sets Nathan apart is not just his athleticism but also his leadership, resilience, and dedication to excellence in all aspects of life. Nathan shares, “As I grew up in a place with limited possibilities, my parents taught me that education was the path to a better future.” Nathan demonstrates deep intrinsic motivation to pursue higher education and he will be attending San Diego State University in the fall.
KEILANI | Cal State University, Northridge
In 2024, Keilani was awarded a $1,000 scholarship. She has excelled scholastically and athletically. Each year in high school, she enrolled in 2-3 honors, AP, or college courses. On the pitch she is strong, vocal, and aware all while having a calm presence. When asked about the impact she hopes to have in her community, she seeks to inspire younger students to overcome adversity and for them to know “there will always be a way to achieve their goals.”
Keilani will be continuing her education and soccer career at Cal State Northridge!
NATALIE | San Diego State University
Just4Dust Director & Founder visited her alma mater to award a $500 scholarship to Natalie. Natalie has excelled on and off the pitch and is heading to San Diego State in the fall!
Jesua | California State University, San Marcos
Jesua just graduated from Dustin’s alma mater, Monte Vista High School, in Spring Valley. In addition to enrolling in multiple AP classes, Jesua earned player of the year and made all CIF. At the time of his application, Jesua shared, “I hope to one day make history for this school as Dustin did.” Jesua went on to become the top goal scorer his senior year and even broke the school record with 36 goals.
We are thrilled to hear that Jesua is headed to CSU San Marcos where he will continue his soccer career! He plans to use his $500 scholarship on educational expenses not covered by FAFSA and his soccer scholarship.
Scarlett | University of California, Los Angeles
Scarlett graduated from Chula Vista High School. During her high school career, she enrolled in the most rigorous courses available, taking 9 AP, 3 IB, and 3 honors classes. She earned an impressive 4.7 GPA. Scarlett's high school team won the league championship. She made the First Team All Metro Pacific and won the Goalkeeper of the Year award. Scarlett participated in the CONADE Nationals in Mexico from 2021-2022. Their team, composed of Mexican-Americans living in the United States, won the 2022 championship and earned a gold medal against teams representing different states in Mexico. She has also participated in Copa Mazatlan in Mexico for the past four years, in which her team won last year, and she received the Best Goalkeeper award.
Scarlett shares, "my years playing this sport have taught me many lessons, while also teaching me things about myself. I've learned that I'm able to persevere through difficulty. Soccer has expanded my ability to interact with others in a social setting while also promoting leadership. Being a goalkeeper forces me to be a leader on the pitch and to communicate with my teammates." Scarlett will be attending UCLA this fall!