Mary Ellen Locher Foundation: Breast Cancer Survivor College Scholarships

Rewarding Courageous Kids

On Wednesday, seven years after losing her mother to breast cancer, Chattanooga School for the Arts and Sciences senior Ginny Straub accepted the first scholarship from the Children of Breast Cancer Scholarship Fund.

Ginny's mom died before having any serious conversations with her daughter about college, but Ginny said Wednesday's award ceremony would have made her mother proud.

"She was all about our education," Ginny remembers. "It was very important to her."

Children of Breast Cancer Scholarship Fund® founder MaryEllen Locher is shown with the fund's first recipient, Ginny Straub, and Chattanooga Bakery's VP of marketing, Tory Johnston.
Photo by Christina Siebold

This first of eight national scholarships was awarded in conjunction with National Breast Cancer Awareness Month and the 100th anniversary of Chattanooga Bakery, sponsor of the fund's inaugural scholarship. The Children of Breast Cancer Scholarship Fund®, founded by breast cancer survivor MaryEllen Locher, provides college tuition for students who have lost a parent to the disease.

"This isn't about feeling sorry for these children," Ms. Locher said. "It's about rewarding them for their courage even though they have been paralyzed by a horrible tragedy."

Ms. Locher founded the scholarship fund after struggling with worries about her own child's education during her battles with cancer.

"We want the Moms in final stages of breast cancer to know that we will be here to take care of their children, even if they aren't," she said.

As the first recipient of the Children of Breast Cancer Scholarship Fund®, Ginny said she looks forward to her role as ambassador for the organization.

"I'll be talking about breast cancer and informing young people about the importance of self-exams and mammograms," she said. "I want to use this opportunity to honor my mom and the other women this disease has affected."

Ginny's dad, stepmom and grandparents were all on hand for the scholarship presentation. Mr. Straub said the award was a deserved recognition of his late wife's life and of his daughter's survival through that traumatic ordeal.

"This day is a bit of sunshine Ginny can put in a basket and carry through a lot of pain," he said.