BY KAREN BOSSICK

A former ski racer with the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation has established a scholarship for an aspiring female alpine athlete.

The Ashley Snyder Briggs Scholarship Award will provide $10,000 towards tuition and expenses for one high school-aged female alpine athlete per year for the next 10 years. The first recipient will be announced as the 2022/23 season gets underway in September.

Ashley Snyder Briggs grew up skiing and racing with the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation between 1974 and 1985. After graduating from the Sun Valley Community School, she went on to race for Middlebury College’s Division 1 ski team.

She has maintained her ties to the Wood River Valley and the SVSEF through her family and her nephews’ participation on the ski team.

“I have always wanted to give back to an organization that gave so much to me,” she said.  “There are so many acquired traits, lessons learned, and experiences gained through sport and competition, and you come away with a skill set that serves you for the rest of your life. Work ethic, goal setting, leadership, resiliency, teamwork—I am thrilled to be able to give this opportunity to a young SVSEF athlete who wants to take their sport to the next level.” 

The scholarship will be awarded each year by Snyder Briggs and a committee of SVSEF coaches. It will be awarded to the female athlete who shows love and passion for alpine ski racing, dedication both on the hill and in the classroom, intends to pursue the sport after high school, and demonstrates an appropriate need for financial support to chase their dreams in ski racing. 

"For an athlete to work towards the highest level of ski racing, it takes a tremendous time commitment and dedicated mindset by the athlete,” said Will Brandenburg, SVSEF Alpine Program director.  “Ashley’s genuine understanding, generosity, and vision to help support young women who want to take this sport as far as they can, is an incredible gift to our program and to all the athletes who are awarded the Ashley Snyder Briggs Scholarship in the years to come.”