The Jim and Iris Hudgens Memorial Scholarship Supports College-Bound Students with Financial Need
Our dad, Steve Hudgens, was always an impossible person to shop for. He already had his dogs and his favorite board games, so he was basically set for life. Gifts were accepted with gratitude, but inevitably consigned to the bottom of a closet.
For dad’s last birthday, my sisters and I decided to go in a different direction, telling Dad we were starting a scholarship in memory of his parents, Jim and Iris Hudgens. Dad did not cry often, but receiving that gift was one instance when he did.
At the time, we didn’t know it was the last birthday gift Dad would receive, and this scholarship has particular significance for us now, since it was so special to him.
This scholarship is named in memory of our grandparents, James and Iris Hudgens, who shaped our childhoods with love, laughter, and endless hours spent around the dining room table playing board games and telling stories. They valued education and helped make it possible for their grandchildren to go to college. Their encouragement was constant, and we hope to support another student in their honor.
As each school quarter was ending, Dad would encourage his daughters to “finish strong.” Dad was gifted in mathematics, and spent many evenings tutoring his daughters to also achieve math excellence (ultimately a fruitless task!) He was never too tired or too busy to help with homework, review for a test, or take an anxiety-reducing dog walk.
This scholarship is dedicated to their memory.
