UC San Diego's First Surf Scholarship Endowment
A version of this story appeared on July 7, 2022, in UC San Diego Today.
UC San Diego is known for making waves in research, athletics and beyond. In 2022, the university awarded its first college surfing scholarship recognized by the National Scholastic Surfing Association (NSSA).
Tyler Callaway, head coach of the UC San Diego Surf Team, says the goal of the scholarship is twofold. “Firstly, championships are won by having a depth of talent in the roster, and the creation of the first-ever surf scholarship will help us attract the top surfing scholars from high schools and junior colleges across the country and the world to compete for UC San Diego. The goal is to have a surf team that is always in the conversation to win a national championship,” he said.
“Secondly, we want to attract attention to the surf team from both inside and outside the university and celebrate the heritage of surfing at UC San Diego,” added Callaway. “The surf team has a long history of incredibly successful alumni — some who have gone on to make an impact locally and globally — through their career paths and the businesses they’ve built.”
The Surf Team Scholarship is funded through contributions from alumni, parents, staff and other supporters. It currently offers at least one $2,500 scholarship per year, with the aim of awarding a $10,000 scholarship annually in the future.
Makena Burke, a second-year undergraduate studying public health, was named the inaugural recipient of the Surf Team Scholarship. She is a proud member of the UC San Diego Surf Team, which competes in the NSSA college league. A competitive surfer since age 11, Burke was honored this March as the college women’s champion at the 2023 NSSA Interscholastic State Championships. In June 2023, she also took home second place in the NSSA Nationals at Salt Creek, with the UC San Diego Surf Team placing fourth overall.
Inspired by the groundswell of community support for the Surf Team Scholarship, the Matthew and Tracy Smith Family Foundation last year established the Smith Surf Team Scholarship Endowment, which, alongside generous gifts from other community members, will ensure perpetual funding for future scholarships for surf team members. During the Campaign for UC San Diego, the Smith Family Foundation’s forward-thinking gift qualified for matching as part of the Chancellor’s Scholarship and Fellowship Challenge, which provided $1 match per $2 of eligible gifts.
For undergraduate and graduate students on the UC San Diego Surf Team, this visionary scholarship will endure for generations of surfers. Whether riding swells in the Pacific or making waves inside the classroom, UC San Diego surfers have the wind — and the support of the Triton community — at their backs.
