SCHOLARSHIP DETAILS
Honoring a teacher who challenged and supported

students with clarity, respect, and care

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Tara Haller spent nearly 30 years teaching mathematics and computer science at Durango High School. Her focus was always on the students—their thinking, their growth, and their potential.

Tara set a high standard in her classroom. She expected her students to engage fully, to think for themselves, and to take their work seriously. But she never left them to figure it out alone. She provided structure, consistency, and quiet encouragement. She helped students build confidence by working through complexity, not avoiding it.

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Tara created a classroom environment where students felt steady, seen, and capable. Her teaching was direct, thoughtful, and grounded in mutual respect. Students recognized that she took them seriously—and that she would stand beside them as they worked through challenges. Over time, her classroom became a place where students learned not only content, but also persistence, independence, and trust in their own ability to learn.

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The Tara Haller Memorial Scholarship will be awarded to a Durango High School graduate who plans to study mathematics and/or computer science in college. The recipient will demonstrate the qualities Tara valued most in her students: curiosity, effort, integrity, and care for others.

Award Amount: $2500, 1 year, non-renewable, to the student’s choice of a 4-year college.  

 

SELECTION

Recipients will be selected by former friends and colleagues of Tara's in coordination with the Durango Education Foundation Scholarship Selection Committee.

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ELIGIBILITY AND EVALUATION REQUIREMENTS
To be eligible, the student must:

• Be a Durango High School student

• Plan to major in math or computer science in college, as confirmed in teacher letter of recommendation.

• Student must have taken math and/or computer science during each year of high shool enrollment, including senior year

• Scholarship committee will consider student need in the selection process.

• Demonstrate the following qualities, evident in student application and letter of recommendation:

  • joy of curiosity

  • innovative thinking

  • vision

  • love for math and/or computer science

INDIVIDUAL SCHOLARSHIP REQUIREMENTS

1. A COMPLETE APPLICATION through which you will address the requests below.

2. Statement of Financial Need * Please share anything about your family financial situation and/or your financial situation that will help us understand your need for college scholarship assistance. (approximately 250 words)

3. ONE letter of recommendation from a math or computer science teacher explaining how student meets the criteria above.

4. Essay of 500 words or less addressing ONE of the following prompts:​

• Where do you see math in the natural world, and how does that inspire you in your future endeavors?

• Mathematicians are often drawn to the patterns and consistency of algorithms and mathematical concepts. If this is true for you, describe how math centers you and enables you to serve others.

• The world is still investigating the benefits and challenges of AI and computer science programs that some argue limit a human's critical thinking and creativity. Discuss how computer science/ artificial intelligence can extend or broaden our future society's thinking instead of offering a shortcut around necessary problem-solving.​​