Dave Sanders Scholarship
Learn More
See these pages for more details about the Foundation's activities:
How to Apply
-- Applications for the 2026-2027 academic year will be accepted between January - May 2026. Please return any time during that period if you are interested in applying for this prestigious scholarship.
About Dave Sanders
 | Dave Sanders, computer lab and business instructor at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado, was among those killed on April 20, 1999. He was the only teacher and non-student killed. |
Scholarship Endowment Created to Honor Fallen Columbine Teacher
On May 11, 1999, the Mile High Chapter (Denver, Colorado) of the Association of Information Technology Professionals (AITP) announced the creation of an endowment fund honoring Columbine High School technology and business instructor Dave Sanders, who was among those killed on April 20, 1999. This fund was originally used to provide grants of tuition and book aid to Columbine graduates going on to seek technology-related college degrees.
Originally, the fund was also used to help Columbine High School teachers and other teachers in Jefferson County will had the opportunity to apply for one-time grants for continuing education in technology and related fields. Those grants were intended to enhance their ability to teach technology to students at the high school level. The first grants were awarded at the end of the 1999-2000 school year.
Scholarships and grants are now awarded on a national basis each year. Interested persons can apply during the Spring by using the "How to Apply" information in the box at the right side of this page.
Eligibility Criteria
To be eligible, applicants must meet all of the following criteria::
- A declared computer science/CIS/MIS/IT major with an overall and major GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale (or equivalent)
- A student who has satisfactorily completed at least one full semester of college (12 semester hours or equivalent)
- Enrolled as a full-time (12 semester hours or equivalent) undergraduate student at an accredited institution in the United States
- A US Citizen or US Permanent Resident
Tax deductible contributions, payable to the Foundation for Information Technology Education, may still be added to the Dave Sanders Memorial Scholarship fund. Interested donors can contact the Foundation via the "Donate" link at the top of this page.
Mr. Charles Oriez, a Mile High Chapter member and leader, played an instrumental role in establishing this memorial scholarship. All members of AITP are indebted to him for his generous service and dedication to this worthy memorial effort. The members of the Foundation's board remember Charles with great fondness and acknowledge his remarkable record of service here.
Previous Recipients
| 2000 | Jeff Hulse (Red Rocks Community College (CO)) |
| 2001 | Jonathan Owens (Red Rocks Community College (CO)) |
| 2002 | James Nguyen (University of Denver (CO)) |
| 2003 | Melissa Sowder (Arapahoe Community College (CO)) |
| 2004 | Oleg Usmanov (University of Colorado, Boulder (CO)) |
| 2006 | Megan Fein (Gonzaga University (WA)) |
| 2007 | Aleksandra Neill Pitt (University of Montana (MT)) |
| 2008 | Adam Simon (Red Rocks Community College (CO)) |
| 2009 | Brandon Tenorio (University of Denver (CO)) |
| 2010 | Alexander Dryden Stokes (University of Colorado Denver (CO)) |
| 2011 | Peter Schichtel (University of Denver (CO)) |
| 2012 | Matthew Coen (Colorado School of Mines (CO)) |
| 2013 | Alex Schmoutz (University of Colorado Boulder (CO)) |
| 2014 | Alekzander Bollig (Florida Institute of Technology) |
| 2015 | Connor Bramley (University of Colorado - Boulder) |
| 2022 | Sarah Burg (Colorado Technical University) |
| 2023 | Arielle Collins (Colorado State University Pueblo) |