West Marion High School seniors in the upcoming Class of 2025 will be able to earn a substantial scholarship thanks to the Miranda Mia Jacqueline Trujillo Memorial Scholarship. Mia Trujillo, who was a West Marion student, tragically died July 14, 2021, two days after she was struck by a drunk driver.
The scholarship “honors Mia’s vibrant spirit and passion for life by supporting students who embody similar qualities of resilience, kindness and enthusiasm,” the application form states.
Mia’s mother, Tabitha, has wanted to do something to commemorate her daughter since Mia’s life was tragically cut short, but she aimed to do it this year to coincide with what should have been Mia’s graduating class.
“It’s going really well,” Tabitha said. “Mia really enjoyed helping others. I think this would be an act of kindness that she would really get behind.”
The memorial fund is being funded through donations and raffle tickets, which include gift cards from Angel’s Sugar Shack, Barrett’s Garden Center, Second Street Bean, Cook & Fortenberry, Los Reyes, Azteca, Debbie’s Sandwich Shop, Good News Brewing, Coffee Haus, Shu’s Boba Café, Kimmie’s Kraft & Kreations, Kristen Deal, The Deck 2, Southern Jewelry, The Donut Place, Mayitos Taqueria, Celina’s, Ridgewood Studio Salon and The Deck, as well as a gift bag from Dutharene’s, a gift box from Entrigue and a gift basket from Renee Thamas.
To date, there is more than $1,000 in the memorial fund, and more is expected.
Tabitha has established the Miranda Mia Jacqueline Trujillo Scholarship Fund Committee, which will judge essays written by West Marion seniors. The essays must include a cover sheet, two letters of recommendation and a 500-word essay explaining why they believe they should be awarded the scholarship, as well as how they strive to live with the same passion for life Mia did.
To make sure that there is no bias, Tabitha instructed the school to not have names on the essays but rather numbers that correlate to the appropriate application.
“I want it to be from my heart and pick somebody whose story really touches me,” Tabitha explained. “I want to be able to bless somebody with an opportunity they may not have. I’m not able to help (Mia), so this is going to mean the world to me. I just want to do something good in her name.”
The application deadline is Thursday, April 24.
Raffle tickets are available for $5, and five tickets can be purchased for $20. The raffle drawing will be May 3 at 4 p.m.
