GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KJCT) – Caprock Academy Seniors Aila Blaike and Rylan Starnes are recipients of the prestigious Daniels Scholarship Program.
Both students share their reactions to receiving the award.
“A wave of relief came rushing down. It felt wonderful,” said Rylan Starnes. “It really felt like all that hard work really paid off.”
“Feel like as you’re a student, especially applying, you’re you’re constantly comparing yourself to other students. So having this organization that believes in you is a pretty incredible experience,” said Aila Blaike.
Both students received the notification while on Caprock’s senior trip to Italy. According to High School Dean, Howard Butcher, both students expressed concern on behalf of the other.
“Both of them were more concerned about the other’s well-being and mental condition based on what happened than anything else,” said Butcher. “I thought it was such a sweet and revelatory moment about their character and their integrity.”
The Daniels Fund was established by Bill Daniels. According to Butcher, the program recognizes academic achievement, leadership, and above all else, character.
“Both Ella and Ryan did that,” he said. “It’s the culmination of a tremendous amount of work. Both of those students, I couldn’t be prouder of.”
In 2025, 156 scholars from Colorado were selected for the scholarship. 5 are from Mesa County, and 2 of those are from Caprock. Butcher said Caprock has had a total of 12 Daniels recipients over 13 years.
“It’s a big deal, just to get one, and to get two is really amazing. It really speaks volumes about our students,” said Butcher. “We’re not just trying to produce students that are successful at getting jobs. We’re trying to produce students that have successful and worthwhile lives and live lives of virtue and service.”
The Daniels Fund has allowed Starnes and Blaike to pursue their dream schools.
Starnes committed to Vanguard University, where he plans to major in Exercise Science.
“I’m really excited. Mainly it’s going to be an entirely new atmosphere, a new culture, just a bunch of new experiences that I’ll be able to go outside of Grand Junction,” said Starnes. “I’m really excited to experience all these new things and then go and learn something that I’m really passionate about. Something that I can use to help people with.”
Blaike will take her talents to the University of Wisconsin, where she plans to pursue her dreams of becoming an Equine Veterinarian.
“It’s so much easier to be excited for the actual college experience when you’re not worried about digging yourself out of debt or your parents getting emails about mortgaging their home. After, I quite honestly realized how stressed out I had been,” said Blaike.
When both students look back, they think of all that they learned at Caprock, and how that’s got them to this point.
“I lived by a pretty work hard, play hard, and cap rock really helps you learn the work hard part of that,” said Blaike. “I think that is a really good lesson and it’s really going to help me, especially because I can enjoy my life and find balance and be happy.”
“Going to this school in and of itself, it’s been one of the key factors that allowed me to become who I am today,” said Starnes.
Butcher believes that no matter where these students go, there is no doubt they’ll succeed.
“They work so hard. They’re so talented. They’re so reliable and have such fine character, I think they’re going to be really successful at whatever they choose to do,” said Butcher.
Learn more about the Daniels Fund here.
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