Maya Byrne
2020
“My name is Maya Byrne, and I am extremely honored to be the Henderson High School recipient of the Stephen Chandler Ericson Memorial scholarship. This year has been very hectic with the pandemic, which brought many firsts for students and teachers all around the world. To have my senior year cut short on such short notice was nothing but heartbreaking. Seniors are missing out on all the perks that were supposed to come with our final year of high school, such as prom, the award ceremony, and most importantly, our graduation ceremony. With so much lost there was not much hope or excitement for my official end of my high school career. I patiently sat through the very first ever virtual graduation ceremony with my cap and gown on (trying to make the most of the moment at home) just waiting for the moment when the superintendent of the West Chester Area School District would say that my fellow seniors and I were officially graduates of Henderson High School. However, before this moment could come, the list of scholarship recipients were announced and to my surprise and excitement I had received a scholarship. This announcement truly made my day so much brighter, and made me actually crack a smile for the remainder of the ceremony. The painful memories of what was lost for our class was suddenly dimmed by the idea of my teachers thinking me worthy of such an honorable award.”
“After doing my research and reading all about the meaning behind the scholarship, and what it represents, I was completely humbled by the idea that others were able to see Stephen’s strong characteristics of determination, compassion, and kindness inside of me. I am a passionate student-athlete, but I am mainly driven by the idea of being able to bring joy and happiness into other people’s lives, whether that be through my music, my activities, or my conversations. As Stephen once said to his mother, ‘I hope people notice her beautiful smile’, I always try to go through my day with a smile on my face and a positive attitude in the hopes that it will bring smiles to the faces of others. The impact that Stephen had on the community is something that will inspire me to continue being kind and involved with those around me, with the belief that through kindness I will be able to make a positive impact on the lives around me. Thank you so much for this award and for the opportunity to carry on Stephen’s legacy. I will be forever grateful for this honor and will continue to spread the message that ‘one life makes a difference’.”