Joyce Godwin | Joyce@CedarbrookMedia.com
For the seventh year in a row, Prosper High School seniors have benefited from the Cory Ausenbaugh Memorial Scholarship. Two scholarships are awarded each year. One for a vocational student and the second for a student in the Ready-Set-Teach program at Prosper Independent School District.
The Ready-Set-Teach program allows students of PHS, who plan to be a teacher, to go off to college and return to Prosper with a job waiting for them at PISD. Each scholarship this year was in the amount of $2,500 and they were received by Jessica Fritchie and Lauren Vachon.
The Cory Ausenbaugh Memorial Scholarship Foundation was formed soon after Mrs. Ausenbaugh passed away suddenly at the age of 40. She left behind two children, James “J.B.” and Rebecca, as well as a host of community members in Prosper and countless elementary school children who loved her. Mrs. Ausenbaugh was an elementary school teacher and loved by all.
Her husband Bryan Ausenbaugh was and still is a member of the Prosper Fire Department and in 2009, that is where the foundation began. Firefighters are a tight-knit group. When one hurts, they all hurt and Prosper firefighters wanted to do something for Bryan and his children. So, they asked for Ausenbaugh’s blessing and then started working to form the foundation in Cory’s name.
At the Prosper High School 2017 Senior Award Night, two scholarships were awarded in the amount of $2,500 each to Lauren Vachon and Jessica Fritchie from the Cory Ausenbaugh Memorial Scholarship Foundation. Pictured here are the two recipients in the center holding flowers. From left are Prosper Fire Marshall Bryan Ausenbaugh, Kristen Watkins and on the far right are Holly Ferguson and Assistant Fire Chief Stuart Blasingame.
Each year, the main fundraiser is a 5K Fun Run. It doesn’t matter how entrants get from the starting line to the finish as long as they have fun. It’s not unusual to see a group of folks crossing the finish line together after walking the whole way.
There is also a competition to see who is wearing the most fun boots. Cory Ausenbaugh was known for wearing cowboy boots with everything. In fact, participants are urged to do the fun run in their cowboy boots.
What started from broken hearts has turned into a blessing for many Prosper High School graduates. It started with one scholarship and is now increased to two.
Assistant Fire Chief Stuart Blasingame serves as Chairman of the foundation board which now numbers six. He said “We are humbled and honored to continue to provide scholarships in Cory’s memory. She was a big believer in education and we are proud to be able to continue to honor her name and her life with these scholarships.”
Currently on the board of the foundation are Holly Ferguson, Kristen Watkins, David Yarborough, Heather Doak, Marty Nevil and Blasingame.
More information on the Foundation, including how to donate, may be obtained by contacting Blasingame by phone at 469-667-1702 or by email at stuartblasingame@yahoo.com, or David Yarbrough at 214-683-5846 or yarb66@yahoo.com.
