We will forever use our memories of his smile, his sense of humor, his
humilty and generosity, and his big-heart as an inspiration to make our lives,
and the lives around us more complete and whole.

February 7, 1985 - July 21, 2009


Sunday, May 27, 2012

3rd Annual Stephen Elrod Memorial Scholarships (2012)

On the evening of May 3rd, the annual Senior Scholarship and Award Ceremony was held at the Pendleton County auditorium. This year proved to be one of the most difficult in selecting a recipient for the Stephen Elrod Memorial Scholarship. However, Ethan Stahl impressed the committee with his work ethic and thoughtfulness towards others. In reading his essay and recommendation letters, we believed he exhibited the qualities most like Stephen. Stephen was an individual that could spend hours talking to older adults. As one of the recommendation letters states, "Ethan is well liked not only by his peers but by adults of all ages. He welcomes them and constantly reaches out to them."

Jon presenting Ethan with his scholarship

Ethan maintained a 3.71 GPA while participating in football, track and field, and band. He is a member of Grassy Creek Christian Church.  Much like Stephen, he loves the outdoors and hunting.  His future plans include attending Morehead State University and majoring in Electrical and Computer Engineering.

The Stephen Elrod Memorial Scholarship was presented at the annual Eagles Landing Christian Academy Athletic Banquet to Mr. Tyler McCammon by Clay and Scott Reeves.  They began the scholarship after Stephen's untimely death.  Matt Harless, a friend of Stephen's, read a passage of scripture and told the audience how he remembered Stephen.

Judy Elrod, Matt Harless, Tyler McCammon, Clay and Scott Reeves
Tyler is an individual that attended ELCA since the 1st grade.  He played varsity football all four years of high school and as a senior decided to add tennis to his schedule.  Academically, he was tops in his class holding a 4.01 GPA.  Tyler holds strong Christian values and exhibited them being active in FCA and the Student Leadership Institute at ELCA.  He will be attending Mercer University to major in Biology.

After the committee recommended Tyler for the scholarship, I pulled his profile up on Facebook and discovered he shared the same birthday (February 7th) as Stephen.  In addition, he loves his dog and hunting just as Stephen.

Congratulations Tyler and Ethan on receiving the Stephen Elrod Memorial Scholarship.