Submitted by the Whatcom Community Foundation
The family and friends of Lynn Heimsoth, the Sunnyland principal who was fatally shot, along with her therapy dog Sukha, in her home last December have partnered with the Whatcom Community Foundation to establish theLynn Heimsoth Memorial Scholarship.
In memory of her drive for social justice and a strong belief in all students having the opportunity for higher education, the scholarship will be awarded annually to a first-generation college student from the Bellingham school district that has been accepted to attend a four-year college.
“Our family and Lynn’s co-workers wanted to do something to honor her memory in a meaningful way, said Lynn’s brother Jeff Fairman. “Everything she did was for the students. She brought an urgency to education—showing her colleagues how education is tied to justice and pointing her team in a direction that put equity at the center of teaching. She had a vision, and she worked collaboratively with her staff to make that vision reality.”
Lynn made a point of reaching out to students who would have otherwise been left behind with her therapy dog Sukha. Most mornings, Lynn and Sukha would greet the students as they arrived, and it was common for students to be in her office reading books to Sukha during the day.
The Whatcom Community Foundation is home to more than 60 scholarships funded with local dollars, which area students can apply for through one application at Whatcom Dollars for Scholars.
“This is exactly what the Community Foundation is here for,” said Philanthropic Services and Programs Director Rachel Myers. “We’re so honored to be able to help Lynn’s family and colleagues carry on her legacy of learning.”
To donate to the fund or learn more Lynn, please visit www.lynnheimsothmemorialscholarship.org.
