Elkhorn Family Grants $17,500 in Scholarships in Memorial of Skylar Elizabeth Hunter

On Tuesday, June 30, Skylar Elizabeth Hunter’s family and peers gathered at the Elkhorn Public Schools Foundation’s Alumni Center to celebrate the final year that the Hunter family will be awarding scholarships in memory of their daughter, “Sky.”

In March 2016, during her eighth-grade year at Elkhorn Grandview Middle School, Skylar Hunter tragically passed away. Devastated by their loss, her family felt strongly about immediately establishing a scholarship in her honor. The Hunter family awarded their first scholarship in April 2016 to Elkhorn High School student, Kelly Petersen.

Skylar is remembered as a kind and compassionate young woman who was involved in many activities including volleyball, basketball, chorus and band. She was also passionate about drawing, music and writing. She always loved making others laugh and had a magnetic personality.

Since Skylar would have graduated from Elkhorn High School this past May, the Hunter family decided that they would like to help as many of Skylar’s classmates as they could by awarding scholarships to assist with college expenses. This year, 27 Elkhorn High Students were selected to receive a Skylar Elizabeth Hunter Memorial Scholarship worth $500. Each scholarship recipient demonstrated compassion towards others, was actively involved in school activities and in the community, and has plans to continue his/her education at a post-secondary educational institution.

Unfortunately, last spring we had to cancel our annual Scholarship Recognition Breakfasts. We knew how much the Hunter family was looking forward to meeting each of their scholarship recipients, and we didn’t want COVID-19 to add to their heartache; so we offered to host a private reception for their family and their current year scholarship recipients at our Alumni Center,” said Genice Chochon, Elkhorn Public Schools Foundation Scholarship Coordinator and Accounting Manager.

During the afternoon reception, the Hunter family personally congratulated their scholarship recipients who shared their reminiscent stories of Skylar with her family. “It was such a special moment to bring together the Hunter family and their daughter’s former classmates. We are so incredibly thankful for the 31 scholarships worth $17,500 that the Hunter family has awarded since the inception of the Skylar Elizabeth Hunter Memorial Scholarship,” said Stacey L. Falk, Executive Director of the Elkhorn Public Schools Foundation. “We are inspired by the Hunter family’s generosity and wish them well as they close this chapter in their lives.”

The 27 students who received a Skylar Elizabeth Hunter Memorial Scholarship this year were: Meg Carney, Payton Cooley, Rhegan Coughlin, Abigail Dallegge, Madison Dragoo, Aubrianna Gerdes, Alexandria Gilbert, Lilian Green, Morgan Habrock, Alexis Harper, Dylan Hudgins, Evan C. Johnson, Grace Lamski, Adam Meyer, Nicholas Moresette, Alyssa Murphy, Abygail Myers, Blaise Pecquet, Ryan Schmutz, Katherine Swanson, Eden Thompson, Alexis Thomsen, Madison Thurber, Ashtyn Tridle, Madison VanWyngarden, Ethan Webster and Raegan Young.

To learn more about the Elkhorn Public Schools Foundation and our scholarship program, please visit www.elkhornfoundation.org/scholarships.