03/21/2024
NOMINATIONS DUE APRIL 5, 2024
The Hugh Harrison Memorial Foundation is accepting nominations for The Hugh Harrison Memorial Grant, class of 2024. To qualify for the grant, a student must graduate from Loudon High School in 2024 (or have graduated early) and plan to enter an apprenticeship, pursue a trade, or enter the workforce directly after graduation. The Grant is not available to students who plan to attend a 4-year college or university. The Grant can be used to buy tools or boots, or pay fees or any other expense necessary to get started in the workforce and does not need to be repaid.
To nominate a student, please message Ashley Harrison Shudan on Facebook as a first step (if you have my phone number, it's also OK to call or text me). You are welcome to nominate yourself, your child, another relative, or someone you think would be a good candidate. I've included more information on The Hugh Harrison Memorial Foundation and the Grant program below; please message me with any questions or for more information.
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Young people who plan to go into a trade, enter an apprenticeship, or join the workforce immediately after high school don’t always get the same recognition or celebration as kids going to college. Let’s try to change that.
The Hugh Harrison Memorial Foundation was established in 2021, because I wanted to honor my brother’s memory and make sure a piece of his “Biggun” energy continued in the world. The Hugh Harrison Memorial Grant is designed to honor Hugh by celebrating and acknowledging people like him.
So, what was Hugh like? He didn’t enjoy school. Sure, the social aspect of school was fun, but being cooped up in a classroom all day and trying to learn stuff that just didn’t seem applicable to his life wasn’t his thing. He’d rather be working and outside doing something, learning from life and the people he met instead of books.
Hugh was a loyal friend. A hard worker and a straight shooter. He treated everyone the same no matter their background or circumstances. He showed up and did what he said he would do. If you needed a job done, he was your man. He helped people and didn’t expect anything in return. Some people looked down on Hugh because he didn’t go to college, did manual labor, and got dirty at work. That sort of attitude isn’t uncommon, but the truth is that if we had more people like Hugh in this world, we’d all be better off.
The Hugh Harrison Memorial Grant program continues to grow beyond what I initially imagined. Thanks to the generous support of individuals, businesses, and community groups, we have distributed $17,000 in grants so far. I hope Hugh would be proud of our work in his name.
-Ashley Harrison Shudan
President, The Hugh Harrison Memorial Foundation
