It was just a little over a year ago when we received the tragic news that Lake Forest High School student Ellie Burns was killed in an accident while on a summer wilderness excursion.
“Until you go through something like this, you don’t know what’s going to be helpful,” says Sally Burns, Ellie’s mother. “But someone suggested setting up a foundation to continue Ellie’s dreams. It has been so therapeutic to build it.”
The Ellie Burns Foundation recently awarded it first scholarships to two Lake Forest High School (LFHS) students at Honors Night in May—Liam Gayter and Layne Suhre. The scholarships are intended to help recipients achieve personal goals, such as developing a sense of independence (particularly in nature), respecting the environment, building character, achieving personal growth, enhancing leadership skills, gaining cultural awareness, becoming involved in the local and world community, and/or providing aid to others who are less fortunate.
This year’s recipients applied for the Ellie Burns Foundation scholarship through the Career Resources Center at LFHS. But Sally hopes that more students will have a chance to apply in the future. “Awarding the scholarships this year was very emotional, but so rewarding. It made me think about the possibility of opening this program up to a wider audience,” Sally says. “But we have to walk before we can run. And I think we’re off to a great start.”
To learn more about the Ellie Burns Foundation, visit ellieburnsfoundation.com.
