Scholarship Fund Honors Mother of CFA Scholarship Director

by Jennifer Weber, Scholarship Director

I am starting my 8th year at the Community Foundation of Abilene. Up until 8 years ago I had no idea what a community foundation was or that it even existed.

I began as the office manager and quickly realized the Community Foundation is an incredible organization. I was able to transition into the scholarship director position 4 years ago and have loved every minute of it. I tell people all the time that I have the perfect job. I come to work and get to connect people who have a heart for giving with people in need. What could be better that that?

As the scholarship director I get to help people in a very special way. Many times they have lost a love one and are looking for a way to honor and preserve that loved one’s memory. My family and I found ourselves in that very situation with the loss of my mom.

Our family has been heavily involved with the Stock Horse of Texas Association for many years. We were blessed to spend treasured time as a family competing at shows and getting to know members who have come to be part of our extended family.

My mom and dad would schedule her chemo treatments on the Monday after the horse show, and my mom would have about a month to recover and be ready for the next show. She rode her horse almost every day during this trying time. My mom fought colon cancer with every fiber of her being, I truly believe that our family time, her horse and looking forward to the next horse show added years to her life.

When Mom passed away, the members of SHTX wanted to start a high school level scholarship for young people in the association. They wanted to honor her strength and “never give up” spirit.

I can truly relate to donors who want to keep the memory of their loved ones alive. I am so honored and excited to have the Darlene Hicks Stock Horse of Texas Scholarship as one of the scholarships of the Community Foundation of Abilene. I know that with the professionalism of The Community Foundation and the incredible members of the Stock Horse of Texas organization, my precious mother’s memory will live on.

My mother adapted a quote that sums up here fight. “Courage is being scared to death but saddling up anyway!"