The Caitlan Wallace Memorial Scholarship

The Caitlan Wallace Memorial Scholarship was created to honor the life, spirit, and legacy of Caitlan Wallace—an intelligent, witty, and vibrant young woman whose life was tragically cut short in a car accident on September 29, 2015, just after her 18th birthday.

Caitlan dreamed of attending college and building a future filled with promise. In her memory, Ipe Woods USA established this scholarship to support students pursuing higher education while also raising awareness about the dangers of impaired driving.

Our Commitment

For the past seven years, Ipe Woods USA has been proud to award this scholarship annually to deserving students across the United States. Each year, we receive many thoughtful and impactful submissions, and while only one recipient is selected annually, every applicant helps further the mission of awareness, education, and prevention.

We remain committed to:

Awarding one scholarship recipient each year

Increasing the scholarship amount over time

Continuing to raise awareness around intoxicated and impaired driving

👉 The 2026 scholarship recipient has not yet been determined.

Scholarship Focus

Each year, applicants are asked to thoughtfully explore topics centered around intoxicated driving and public awareness, including:

Preventing drunk or impaired driving

Educating communities on the risks and consequences

Exploring real-world solutions that can help save lives

These essays are intended to be shared in memory of Caitlan and to contribute meaningfully to public discourse on safe driving.

Past Scholarship Recipients

We are honored to recognize the outstanding students who have been selected as recipients of the Caitlan Wallace Memorial Scholarship:

2018 Recipient Samantha Martinez — Arizona State University

2019 Recipient Zayd Albowyha — San Francisco State University Scholarship Award: $1,500

Each recipient exemplifies academic excellence, creativity, and a commitment to meaningful social awareness.

Looking Ahead

The Caitlan Wallace Memorial Scholarship will continue to be offered annually. Details for future scholarship topics, award amounts, and application guidelines will be announced on this page as they become available.

Through this scholarship, our goal is simple but profound: to honor Caitlan’s life, support students in need, and help prevent even one tragedy caused by impaired driving.

With Gratitude

On behalf of everyone at Ipe Woods USA, we thank all past applicants, recipients, and supporters for helping us turn loss into purpose.