Students at Wyomissing and Wilson high schools who’ve grappled with all forms of adversity have landed scholarships through Lauren’s Foundation since 2006.
This year, seniors at Gov. Mifflin and Schuylkill Valley high schools will be given the same opportunity.
Lauren’s Foundation was established in memory of Lauren Fitzgerald, a Wyomissing High School graduate who died in 2005 at age 20 after battling brain cancer for more than a year.
The scholarships started off at $1,000 and have grown to $2,000 in recent years, said Lauren’s father, Michael Fitzgerald, foundation founder and a Wilson High School teacher.
Awards are presented annually to two to four students per school who have experienced hardships such as battling an illness or the death of a close relative.
“When I read these applications, I’m reminded every year that I pass these students in the hallways, every day,” Fitzgerald said. “You never know what’s going on outside of these walls and what they’re going through at home.”
Funds are primarily raised through the annual Fitzy’s 5K run, held on the last Sunday in October. Participation in the 2013 run was double that of the previous year, and that increase provided money needed to expand the scholarship. The foundation also has gained more sponsors in recent months.
Fitzgerald said his goal is for the scholarship to be available to students at all Berks County high schools.
But for now, the foundation plans to add a school or two a year.
Lauren’s Foundation has given $33,000 in scholarships to 27 students since its inception. The organization also donates money to brain cancer research and local families struggling with the medical costs of ill children, an initiative called the Sunflower Fund.
The foundation’s motto is a quote from poet Maya Angelou, a string of words Fitzgerald said his daughter lived by: “I can be changed by what happens to me. I refuse to be reduced by it.”
Wilson High School Principal George Fiore said the quote is fitting for the perserverant students who have been awarded the scholarship in his district.
“What a way of describing some of these kids,” he said, adding, “the recognition and financial support goes a long way for a lot of of them.”