This scholarship was established by the friends and family of Erin L. Bergstrom, a 2004 graduate of The University of San Diego and a Spring 2003 participant at The School for Field Studies Center for Rainforest Studies in Queensland, Australia. Erin died suddenly in September 2005 while pursuing a graduate degree program in environmental science at the University of Hawaii with fellow 2003 SFS alumnus Brian Gold. Erin's description of her SFS experience was published in the Summer 2003 edition of the SFS Newsletter Field Notes as follows: 

“To sum up my experience in the School for Field Studies Australia program I usually use the words amazing, eye-opening, and truly once in a lifetime. To have the ability to learn about a concept, such as the different forest types surrounding us on our property, and then to actually be able to walk through the property and visually see the forest types we had learned about was very valuable to our education.”
– Erin Bergstrom, University of San Diego
Australia, Spring 2003

The scholarship is awarded by The School for Field Studies (SFS) to financially deserving students who attend one of The School for Field Studies environmental study abroad programs. Preference will be given to students who both have a commitment to preservation of the environment and have demonstrated leadership skills at their universities or in their communities. Award amounts vary and are based on the estimated financial need of the recipient.