THE FOREVER SCHOLARSHIP

THE WALDO FAMILY DONOR STORY

When he died unexpectedly, his family wanted to honor the qualities of their son and brother. Hisparents, Rex and Rhonda Waldo decided that the best way to honor Rex and his legacy would be by establishing a scholarship fund through The Community Foundation.

The Rex A. Waldo II Memorial Scholarship was established in 2018 and is a one-time scholarship for a graduating Yorktown High School student seeking a career in health or computer science. Rex and his sister, Rhea Moulton, both graduated from Yorktown High School, so it was important to the family that a Yorktown student be honored with the award.

Rhea and her husband Judd Moulton are both teachers at Yorktown High School, and because of that, they play an active role in deciding the recipients of the award each year and even present the award to the recipient at the awards/honors day.

“We have an understanding of who the Yorktown seniors are and what they have done. We know the applicants,” said Rhea.

Rhea Moulton explains that one of the main purposes of the scholarship is to fulfill a financial need for a student, as Rhea’s parents understand the financial burden that comes with putting your child through college.

Helping students, in even a small way, has been really meaningful.

“I know that it’s really meaningful to my parents to know that we are helping families and taking a little bit of that burden away,” said Rhea. “Helpingstudents, in even a small way, has been really meaningful.”

In addition to helping meet financial needs, the scholarship serves to encourage recipients. Rex may not have been a “typical” college student, but he was dedicated to completing his degree. Fifteen years after finishing high school, he decided to go back to Ball State University to earn his degree. He even chose to attend school on-campus instead of earning his degree online, proving that it is never too late to restart your education. The Waldo family hopes that the Rex A. Waldo II Memorial Scholarship inspires students to find a similar dedication as they pursue their own education.

“We’re often visualizing the recipients, that in a way, was Rex in 1996,” said Judd. “It seems like the people that have been connected to his scholarship always have a little component of who he was, such as caring for others or being outgoing.”

The Waldo family believes that everyone is deserving of an education. Rhea and Judd explain that it is okay for applicants not to be the “perfect” student; they just need to be themselves and have a desire to pursue higher education.

The Waldo family hopes this scholarship will carry on Rex’s legacy. They wanted something that would last forever. Each year when Rhea and Judd present the award, they speak about Rex and continue his story. By establishing the scholarship through The Community Foundation, it will continue to grow and assist students for many years. This scholarship in Rex’s memory will have an impact on the lives of its recipients for generations to come.