By Jared Lindell
Memories provide comfort, lead to smiles, and bring light into our lives when moments of time are at their darkest. Memorial funds at the Community Foundation are all about remembrance and seek to bring a positive light on otherwise difficult situations. There is a new memorial fund at the Community Foundation that will indeed bring light to those who benefit from it, while fondly remembering the individual for whom the fund was established. This fund is the Meagan Lee Danielson Memorial Scholarship Fund.
Meagan Lee Danielson was born in Jamestown on December 3, 1977. She graduated from Southwestern High School in 1996 and graduated with honors from the University of Albany in 2000, with a dual bachelor’s degree in Sociology and Psychology. In addition, she received a master’s degree, with distinction, in School Psychology from Northern Arizona University in 2003. Before moving on to receive her master’s, Meagan also studied abroad at the University of Adelaide in Australia for six months, which afforded her the opportunity of a lifetime, as she was able to dive in the Great Barrier Reef.
Even after all of her previous studies, experiences, and degrees, Meagan was still driven to learn more about the field of Psychology. This caused her to enroll into a doctorate program at Northern Arizona University. It was in this program that she began to truly thrive, as she found a passion for which she felt she could make a difference. While enrolled as a doctoral student, Meagan worked with special needs children on Indian reservations in the Northern Arizona region, helped collect data for studies on Apache Youth, and even had some of her articles and research published in various journals, focusing on the field of psychology. Meagan was continually driven and dedicated to learn more and more and succeeded very much in doing so.
Meagan Lee Danielson passed away on May 10, 2004, following an automobile accident. The benefit of her educational and research efforts at the Northern Arizona University led the University to establish a scholarship fund in Meagan’s honor. This fund was established to benefit master’s and doctoral students at the University, pursuing careers in psychology. This fund has already provided benefit to Northern Arizona University students. While this fund serves as a great remembrance of Meagan for the Northern Arizona University community, her friends and family also wanted to remember her in the community in which she grew up and developed into the person she was.
When Meagan was a student at Southwestern High School, one of her passions was participating on the varsity competition cheerleading squad. During her four years on the squad, Meagan forged some of her greatest relationships and friendships. Her participation with the squad also aided in her personal development, where she learned the true meaning of dedication, hard work, determination, and the setting of goals. Based on this passion, Meagan’s friends and family established the Meagan Lee Danielson Memorial Scholarship Fund at the Community Foundation. This fund will serve to remember Meagan forever, while assisting senior members of Southwestern’s competition cheerleading squad that demonstrate the same positive attitude, leadership, energy, determination, and inspiration that Meagan exuded.
Meagan Lee Danielson was loving, kind, and had a way of lighting up a room. This new scholarship will reflect that light on all Southwestern students who benefit in her name, while remembering her for the truly good person she was.
If you would like to make a gift to the Meagan Lee Danielson Memorial Scholarship Fund, contact the Community Foundation staff at 661-3390.