Michael G. Yazzie King Scholarship

• Established in 2017 by Ela Yazzie-King and the late John E. King, Jr., the scholarship honors the memory of their son, Michael G. Yazzie-King, who passed away unexpectedly in 2016.
• Michael was a son, a brother, a father of two young sons, and a proud member of the Navajo Nation. He was a Marine, a welder and a mechanic. Like his father, Michael was a motorcycle enthusiast.
• Men on both sides of Michael’s family served in the military. His maternal grandfather, Arthur Shorthair, was in the Army during World War II, and his father and paternal grandfathers both served in the Air Force.
• Michael was attracted to the Marine Corps because it offered a chance to test his own limits. Michael served as a corporal in the 1st Battalion, 4th Marines from 2004 to 2008 and was deployed twice to the Iraq-Syrian border.

Eligibility

• The Michael G. Yazzie-King Scholarship is available to Navajo youth who, like Michael, desire to pursue a certified vocational training program after high school, and show evidence of financial need.
• Applicant should be an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation and be able to provide proper documentation.
• This scholarship is available to veterans and/or those who come from a Navajo veteran family. 
• Scholarship is available to children and spouses of veterans.

To Apply

• Email the completed application (PDF Document) to Navajo Technical University. 

Please watch this short video, which features Michael’s parents, Ela and John, and learn more about his life and the scholarship dedicated to his memory:

Your contribution may be tax deductible in accordance with applicable IRS regulations.

Thank you for your generous support of the Michael G. Yazzie-King Scholarship!

Go forth in peace.
Be still within yourself,
And know that the trail is beautiful.
May the Winds be gentle upon your face,
And your direction be straight and true
as the Flight of the Eagle.
Walk in Beauty and Harmony
with God and all people.

– Navajo Blessing

In Memoriam

Sadly, John E. King, Jr., co-founder of the Michael G. Yazzie-King Scholarship, passed away at home in St. Michaels, Arizona on July 6, 2020 at the age of 75 from complications of Parkinson’s disease after taking a fall. He leaves behind his cherished family and countless friends and colleagues who loved and admired him. John lived a full and productive life, was devoted to his family, and was always looking forward, helping others, making new friends, and enjoying life to the fullest.