Meet the Summit Scholarship Class of 2026
This year, the Summit Scholarship Foundation expected to fund 12 scholarships.
We're funding 14.
Here's what happened. Applications for the 2026 cycle opened in December and closed in early February. In that window, 2,159 women and girls from 82 countries hit submit - more than double last year's 920 applications from 44 countries. They wrote essays about why the mountains matter to them, about financial barriers that stand between them and the experiences that could change their trajectory, and about what they'd carry back down with them if given the chance.
We read all those essays.
The strength of this year's pool was unprecedented, and it didn't go unnoticed. Our operating partners and sponsors saw the caliber of applications coming through and made a decision: they created scholarships that hadn't existed before. A second She Moves Mountains slot. A third seat for Glacier Peak with Upwards Transitions Institute. Two more women who will experience the power of being part of a sisterhood of the rope this year - because the community around this program keeps expanding to make room.
To everyone who poured themselves into writing those application essays: we see you. The Summit Scholarship could (should!) fund 200 scholarships tomorrow and would still turn away extraordinary candidates. If you weren't selected this year, that's not a reflection of your worth - it's a reflection of how much work remains. We're building more seats. Come back next year.
Now: meet the Class of 2026.
LOWA Matterhorn Adventure
Two women will train for and attempt the Matterhorn this summer through our flagship technical alpinism program - mentored by Ines Papert, a four-time Ice Climbing World Champion and one of the most accomplished alpinists of her generation, and supported by apex sponsor LOWA Boots thanks in part to their $50,000+ annual commitment.
Noemi Kreuz, Rottenburg am Neckar, Germany · she/her
"When I heard I'd been selected, I honestly couldn't believe it was real."
Noemi volunteers with the German Alpine Club (DAV), co-teaching multi-pitch climbing courses designed specifically for women and gender-diverse climbers alongside her sister. Everything she brings back from the Matterhorn goes directly into those courses. As a master's student, this opportunity wouldn't be financially possible without the scholarship.
Tiffany Diep, New Hampshire, USA · she/her
Tiffany was raised in a traditional Asian household where girls were expected to be quiet and docile. She found freedom in the mountains — summiting Whitney, Kilimanjaro, and Elbrus before having three daughters. Since then, mountaineering has been on pause. "This is me pushing play again," she wrote in her application, "but as a better version of myself." The Matterhorn isn't just a climb for Tiffany, it's proof to her girls that becoming a mother doesn't mean giving up on your dreams.
Tiffany’s reaction to receiving the Summit Scholarship: "I had a flood of emotions — shocked, elated, nervous, excited, doubting myself and extremely proud, all within the span of a few seconds."
Cordillera Blanca: Ishinca & Tocllaraju
High-altitude mountaineering on glaciated peaks in Peru's Cordillera Blanca - rope work, crampons, and summit pushes above 18,000 feet with operating partner AWExpeditions. One of the two spots is reserved exclusively for African women because if the mission is global equity in the mountains, representation has to be more than a talking point.
Rhonah Tushabe, Kampala, Uganda
Rhonah started climbing in 2023 during one of the hardest stretches of her life, after losing her mother to a long illness. A friend suggested climbing as a way to cope with grief. On her first day, she struggled through her initial route — and finishing it gave her a sense of focus she hadn't felt in months. She's been rockclimbing ever since. This will be her first time on a big mountain.
"I honestly couldn't believe it at first. Just knowing that my application had been read, especially with such huge numbers, meant so much to me."
Abina Arshad, Kansas, USA (from Kashmir) · she/her
"I was breaking my first fast of Ramadan when I got the call, and I literally hugged everyone around me saying I am going to the mountains!"
Abina grew up in Kashmir — one of the most militarized regions in the world — surrounded by mountains she was never allowed to access. Not because of the terrain, but because of her gender, her religion, and her politics. She's now an international student in the US, funding her own education, and plans to return to Kashmir after her studies to build women-centered outdoor spaces where none existed for her.
She Moves Mountains Rock Climbing Retreat
A multi-day rock climbing retreat in the US with operating partner She Moves Mountains — focused on building confidence, community, and technical skills in a supportive all-women environment. This program was originally slated for just one scholarship. Then one of our partners saw the strength of the applicant pool and funded a second spot at the 11th hour.
Itzeli Cruz-Salinas, South Carolina, USA · she/her
Itzeli got the call while touring her dream dental school. "I was trying to look calm and professional, but inside I was absolutely spiraling. Five minutes later at mock interviews, they asked about my hobbies, and I laughed and said, 'Well… I just got this phone call.'"
A first-generation Hispanic woman working two jobs through college while serving on two executive boards, Itzeli wrote in her application that her life has often been reduced to survival mode: work, school, obligation, repeat. This retreat is about reclaiming the truth that ambition and joy can coexist.
Vianne Sheikh, Lincoln, Nebraska · she/her
This scholarship is more than an opportunity to climb — it's a doorway to a dream Vianne has carried for years despite financial and personal challenges. "It represents growth, healing, and the chance to inspire others through resilience and adventure."
Ma’wa Chamonix Trekking
A hiking adventure in the French Alps for Muslim women, with operating partner Ma'wa Collective. 477 women applied for this single spot — the highest volume of any Summit Scholarship program this year.
Ayni Sharif, Vancouver, Canada
"When I got the phone call, I was in shock and honestly had no words. The timing couldn't have been better."
This scholarship means access. "I wouldn't have had the time, resources, or honestly the courage to take on the Alps on my own. It makes me feel seen and affirmed at a time when that matters deeply."
Glacier Peak Climb
Alpine mountaineering in Washington's North Cascades with operating partner Upwards Transitions Institute — glacier travel, rope teams, and summit attempts on one of the most remote volcanoes in the lower 48. This program was originally funded for two scholarships. When our partners saw what was coming through in the applications, they created a third.
Brianna Clark, Garden Grove, California · she/her
"When I got the phone call, I was completely overwhelmed in the best way. Hearing them speak so highly of what I had to say made me feel truly seen and valued."
Brianna will be interning in Kent, Washington this summer — taking time off to climb Glacier Peak. "I can't wait to meet and learn from all the other young women who will be conquering the mountains right alongside me."
Frannie Parkinson, Richmond, Virginia (based in Chilean Patagonia)
Frannie has spent six years living in the Aysén Region of Chilean Patagonia, leading multi-day backcountry expeditions for a small, female-founded guiding company. She works with local youth, outdoor educators, and women new to the outdoors — and discovered the Glacier Peak climb while searching for a female-led mountaineering course. She intends for everything that she learns on Glacier Peak to go home with her.
"This is VERY exciting and unexpected news! I feel honored and incredibly grateful."
Sara Razavi, Fairfax, Virginia
Sara's scholarship means she gets to stop being a visitor in the landscapes where her ancestors once walked. "No more looking from a distance — it's time to actually get on the ice."
Her reaction to the Summit Scholarship: "Honestly? Just a huge Alhamdulillah."
Rope Team Rising — Mt. Baker
Glaciated mountaineering for girls and young women ages 14–22 in partnership with AWExpeditions — our youth program, because the pipeline to the summit starts early.
Mariam Elsharkawy, Houston, Texas
Mariam is pursuing an accelerated BS/MS/PhD in biochemistry. Her earliest memories are of watching Planet Earth with her mom, tracing birds across the sky. That curiosity led her to science — and to the outdoors, where she once was harassed on a trail for wearing a hijab. She wrote that she wished for the quiet reassurance of other women around her, of not being alone. On Mt. Baker, she won't be.
"When I realized I wasn't being interviewed but was being offered a spot, I was first in shock, then tremendously grateful and giddy that I was chosen to climb with other young girls like me."
Abi Brito Del Valle, South Burlington, Vermont
Abi says: "I love the outdoors, but more often than not, going on excursions like these feels super unaccessible since the cost of travel and gear definitely adds up."
Abi is ready. "What better way to get to know complete strangers than by going on a 3-day trip and summiting a mountain together!"
Mary Le, Portland, Oregon
"I was stunned and deeply grateful. It felt like a powerful reminder that my voice and my path in the mountains truly belong here."
This scholarship gives Mary access to real alpine training and an all-women mountaineering community. "It's an investment in my foundation as a climber, and in showing other first-generation and Southeast Asian women that we belong in big mountain environments too."
Adventure Lens Grant
A photography and videography grant that embeds a storyteller directly into a Summit Scholarship expedition. This scholarship recipient doesn't just go on the trip — she captures it, creating the visual record that powers everything you see on this page and beyond.
Natalia Fernandez Chanes, Mexico
"When I received a call from the United States, I honestly thought it might be a scam. My sister was standing next to me with no idea what was going on and kept asking, 'What's happening? What did you win?'"
This grant is a huge step forward for Natalia's growth as both a cinematographer and a mountaineer.
"Opportunities like this simply don't exist in Mexico. Being part of an all-women expedition makes it even more meaningful and empowering."
Fourteen women, more than half a dozen different programs, six continents - all represented in a single scholarship class.
Some of these women have never seen a glacier. Some have never left their home country. Some have been climbing for years but couldn't afford the next step. What they share is this: they applied, and they trusted that this was real and that it was for them.
It is.
The Summit Scholarship Class of 2026 is the largest in the foundation's history — and it's still not large enough. With 2,159 applications this year, the demand for these programs is outpacing what we can fund. Every new seat changes someone's trajectory.
Want to help us build more seats? Donate to fund scholarships directly. Become a sponsor or an operating partner to put your brand behind the next class. Or just share this post: the further it travels, the more women find out this exists.
The mountains are waiting. These 14 women aren't.
