“Your legacy is not just what you accomplish in your life, but what you inspire others to accomplish in theirs.” This Allen King quote means a lot to me this time of year. It’s what I refer to as scholarship season in Fallbrook. Each year, I am blessed and honored for the privilege of interviewing school seniors who apply for a college or trade school scholarship from one or more of our eight endowed funds. These funds were set up by individuals who wanted to inspire others, leaving a perpetual means of helping students achieve their life’s dreams called, paying it forward.

I am not alone in this important endeavor, as there are about fifteen or more other organizations in the region who also interview college applicants. For anyone who has participated in these interviews, nothing compares to hearing first-hand about the lives and career plans of such amazing, bright, dedicated, and talented students. Whether it’s the young man who built a robot out of scrap from metal shop, who gives back to the community through his volunteer work and wants to intern for SpaceX, or the young woman who helps care for a special needs sibling and balances family responsibilities with her team sports while also maintaining 4.0 GPA. They all are, in a word, amazing.

Many times, I have said and will continue to say if there was a way to package pure joy, it could be derived from meeting these students, hearing from fresh minds who are so ready to make the world a better place. Their mentors and role models are their parents or grandparents, aunts, uncles, siblings, cousins, coaches and, of course, teachers. Scholarships will help pave the way for those who are ready to take their hard work in academics, sports, and community service to the next level through higher education. For the organizations and other entities who carry the torch of providing such scholarships, we are lighting the way forward for others who will create the next generations of our future.

At Legacy Endowment, we are grateful to E. Wright Yount, Roberta Collister, Juanita Walden, Richard and Mary Jane Weeks, and the families of Duke Snider and Beverly Lawson. These community heroes recognized that over time, strategic investment growth created through endowed scholarship funds would benefit the young adults of tomorrow. With the upcoming awards ceremony coming up on May 13, Legacy representatives, along with other organizations who similarly distribute scholarships, will take part of the evening’s celebration. I know the families and friends of the awardees will be there, and it’s the one place for sure that you’re guaranteed to find huge smiles, bear hugs of happiness, and tears of joy.

This is a reprint of Jean Larsen’s article in the Village News on April 3, 2025.

This is part of a series of articles written to share important information about charitable giving and the various ways you can easily support your favorite charities and community.