Scholarship created on behalf of late SEMO student

The family of a Southeast Missouri State University student whose death in a scooter crash made local headlines has raised enough money to endow a scholarship in her name.

To honor Meg Herndon, a Southeast Missouri State University nursing student and soccer player who died in September, her family sold tickets to St. Louis Cardinals games to raise money for an endowed scholarship at Southeast.

Their initial goal was to raise $10,000, the minimum amount to start an endowed scholarship. But they exceeded that when they raised about $15,000 at the Cardinals game.

Herndon's mother, Cindi Silvey, said from various fundraisers and donations, the scholarship fund totals between $20,000 and $22,000.

Southeast will present the scholarship to a female soccer player beginning next fall.

Herndon's family will set the standards for the scholarship, but will not determine who is awarded it. The standards will be for a student with similar qualities and goals as Herndon, such as athletics, academic achievement and a sense of community, Silvey said.

On the anniversary of Herndon's death, the women's soccer team will host an alumni game at Southeast. The game will honor Herndon, and the university will retire her No. 2 jersey.

Herndon's family had a goal to sell more than 500 tickets to the Cardinals game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Busch Stadium on July 23, which would have been Herndon's 22nd birthday.

Silvey said the family chose to honor Herndon at a Cardinals game because going to games was something she enjoyed doing with them when she returned home from school.

"We sold the tickets for $20, and we only got them for $9," Silvey said.

Just shy of 1,100 people showed up to support the Meg Herndon Scholarship fund. Because they sold more than 500 tickets, a ceremony was held before the game to honor Herndon. Her brother and sister threw the ceremonial first pitch of the game in honor of their late sister.

"I thought it would be family there, but then I realized how many people there really was," said Ali Bauer, a teammate and friend of Herndon. "It was awesome."

All 1,000-plus fans held up signs during the top of the fifth inning that read, "Impossible is nothing," a motto Herndon lived by. Herndon also had a tattoo with that phrase, Bauer said.

Herndon, riding her scooter, was hit by a truck Sept. 9 as she was traveling to work in Cape Girardeau through the intersection of North Sprigg Street and Normal Avenue.

She was brought to a hospital in Cape Girardeau and transported to Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis. She died 11 days later.

Southeast soccer coach Heather Nelson approached the Herndon family to start an endowed scholarship to honor her. Together they established a scholarship fund through the Southeast Missouri University Foundation.

"It is a good practice for the soccer team to remember Meg," Silvey said. "It's an awesome idea."

Silvey said they don't have plans at the moment to raise funds for the scholarship, but she is considering honoring Herndon at another Cardinals game next season.

Anyone who wishes to donate to the Meg Herndon Scholarship fund can email Silvey at Pray4Meg@gmail.com.

Pertinent address:

1 University Plaza, Cape Girardeau, MO