Scholarships donations are often the most personal of gifts. They demonstrate how an investment today builds toward outcomes tomorrow. They also personify how a life well lived builds a legacy.

On Saturday April 23 a group of Hamilton Southeastern High School students spent the day working in the community to honor such a legacy. Carrie Colglazier, a stand-out HSE student, was tragically killed by a drunk driver in 2003. Each year student representatives of the girls’ soccer and track teams, FFA, and National Honor Society volunteer to help with spring cleaning, do yard work or, even, babysit for donors. All proceeds are paid forward to the Colglazier Scholarship Fund which awards a $12,000 scholarship, over four years, to a local college-bound senior.

Carrie was regarded as a role model and mentor by her teachers, coaches, and peers. The scholarship established in her memory honors that spirit and those who, like Carrie, saw serving her school and home community as both an opportunity and a serious responsibility. “She took a great deal of pride in being a Royal,” her parents write, “She inspired everyone around her to be better-a better athlete, a better student, a better friend, and a better person.”

Dani Robinson, an HSE parent who knew Carrie well celebrates this personal connection,

When my son was about 8 years old we left him and his sister at the Hamilton County Fairgrounds in the care of our favorite babysitter and her best friend, Carrie. In our absence a severe summer storm threatened the area. Carrie whisked my son off to her home and asked her mother to watch over him and she went back to the fairgrounds to watch over our daughter and tend to animals at the county fair.

Carrie was a smart, thoughtful, energetic young woman. She filled the room with her exuberant personality. When you were around her you could not help but smile. She exuded everything good about life. When we received the news that she had been killed in a senseless accident we were heartbroken.

Several years later, our son was honored to receive a scholarship in Carrie’s name. We loved Carrie and all that she represented. When our son’s name was announced as the 2010 recipient, we were overwhelmed. We were also so grateful that her family chose to honor our son with this very special award. We couldn’t be more proud to carry on her legacy.

This scholarship and all the kids who volunteer to support it not only celebrate Carrie, but also her her family who so generously supports HSE Schools. I can’t imagine anything more meaningful or rooted in community that this type of lasting connection.

You can learn more about Carrie and at http://carriecolglazier.org.