Seven years ago today, I began the adventure of my Master's degree - inspired, of course, by Ian. So today seemed the appropriate time to share our dream.
To anyone who knew Ian, the twinkle of mischief in his eyes, the delight in his smile, and his completely contagious laugh are unforgettable. He was a persistent fighter from the day he was born and in his 11 short years, he profoundly touched the lives of anyone who took the time to get to know him. If you didn't know him, you really missed out.
This is a big Ian year at our house. In August, he'd be turning 18 (I know, I know. Pretty unreal, right?) and entering his senior year of high school. If he'd been a typical kiddo we'd be thinking ahead a year from now to graduation, college, and a mission. Wow! It's a bit much for my mind to wrap around. However, in commemoration of this milestone year, we've started the Ian Aston Brown Memorial Facebook Page to help us all celebrate the difference he's made and will continue to make through his influence on our lives.
Since he will NOT be going to college, we have decided to help someone else (or hopefully several others for years to come) pursue education in his memory. His battle to communicate was key in my decision to pursue degrees in communication disorders. The flexibility, availability, and quality of Utah State University's programs enabled me to realize this goal and become an SLP. So, because we're a USU family (Aggie blue through and through), we've decided to build an Ian Aston Brown Memorial Scholarship through USU to assist students to train in fields that will help those who struggle to communicate. The scholarship will be awarded to a Utah State University regional campus student pursuing a degree in Communication Disorders and Deaf Education. The goal is lofty and may be several years in the making, but we are all excited to do this in memory of Ian. (And I think it might just make him happy, too.)
Our family will be saving and raising money to donate to USU. Our ultimate goal is to reach $25,000 over the next five years so we can create an endowed scholarship, meaning it will continue to be awarded in his name even after we are gone. To begin this process with USU, we need to raise at least $5,000 per year for five years - $6,000 if we want to begin awarding it as it grows, so it may take us a little while to get off the ground. We would love to have something in place so that a student could begin using the scholarship the same year he would have begun attending. If we can raise $6,000 by December of this year, that is a very real possibility! If you would like to contribute, consider donating to our Go Fund Me project in Ian's memory or share it with others who might like to join us in an inspiring cause.
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