We are proud to partner with Angel Fire Ski Patrol to offer the Leah Patterson Memorial Scholarship
There are 3 $625 scholarships available. Apply by Dec 1, 2025. You choose what you would like to use the scholarship for!
Boy howdy, this babe wasn’t just a spark—she was a wildfire of light and laughter, impossible to ignore and even harder to forget. Her smile was the kind that could melt glaciers. She wrapped people in warmth the way a campfire does on a cold desert night—naturally, effortlessly, and without asking anything in return. Styling down rapids, roped up to a climb, carving fresh lines down untouched snow—Leah lived like the wilderness she loved: wild, untamed, and deeply alive.
She was a force for other women – uplifting them, empowering them, celebrating their wins like they were her own. Leah wasn’t intimidated by limits – she shattered them and then turned around to show you how to do it too.
But beneath that golden glow was a woman of grit and steel. Leah wasn’t just kind—she was courageous. She chased personal growth like it was a summit worth climbing. Whether it was navigating the unpredictable waters of a rapid or the daily demands of living with Type 1 diabetes, she faced every challenge with raw determination and an open heart. She didn’t just endure—she transcended.
She was a force for other women—uplifting them, empowering them, celebrating their wins like they were her own. Leah wasn’t intimidated by limits—she shattered them, and then turned around to show you how to do it too. Her physical power was matched only by her emotional depth; her loyalty ran as deep as canyon walls, and her support was as steady as bedrock.
You could count on her for a hug that lasted longer than your sadness, for words that stitched you back together, for silence that understood more than advice ever could. And when life demanded fierceness, she met it with her spirit unyielding, never backing down, never letting anything or anyone shrink her presence.
She was the embodiment of opposites made beautiful—soft yet unbreakable, grounded yet wildly free. She was sunshine spilling over canyon rims, powerful rivers cutting through ancient stone, dreamy powder days with their big, fluffy and quiet flakes. She was a disco cowgirl under a desert sky, a deep belly laugh, and a mug of tea by the crackling fire.
Leah Rae Patterson didn’t just walk through this world—she danced. Through her love, her fire, her unshakable spirit, she etched her name into the lives she touched—and she’ll never be forgotten.
With this scholarship dedicated to this amazing gal we loved, we hope to continue her unwavering support of women while honoring her badass ski patrolling. Our goal is to assist women who are both current and future ski patrollers in chasing their ambitions. Whether that be avalanche courses, ropes courses, EMT or other medical training—we want to help them achieve their goals and get more women in these fields. If Leah’s scholarship resonates with your aspirations or you have another use that would also align with uplifting women, please apply! We are looking forward to reading each and every one of your responses and hopefully helping lots of women create space in ski patrol.
– Friends of Leah
