Jordan Fowers loved to serve the Mexican people he worked with on his mission, always wanting to help out the potential he saw in others, said his mother, Jana Fowers.

That love has been translated into a scholarship to help those people.

Jordan Fowers, who first developed heart problems on his mission, died after surgery to correct the problem. Immediately the thought came to his family to begin a scholarship in memory of her son to aide those in Latin America who wanted to come to BYU.

“While on his mission in Chihuahua, Mexico, he would write home about his companions and how great they were,” Fowers said. “He would mention their desire to come to BYU, but had no funds to pay for their expenses once they got to Utah. His desire was to help them.”

The Fowers went to LDS Philanthropies and were told they would need to raise the necessary $40,000 within five years to fund the scholarship forever. Fowers said she was not discouraged, and the family began writing hundreds of letters to family and friends, resulting in numerous donations given to LDS Philanthropies.

Although the family did not write letters to anyone at BYU, the BYU Men’s Chorus, Campus Plaza management, BYU 6th Ward and strangers all donated funds to her son’s scholarship in lieu of sending flowers for the funeral. Within the first 10 months, only $26,000 was left to fund the scholarship.

“At this point, most people give up,” said Rex Carlson, associate director of principal gifts for LDS Philanthropies. “Sister Fowers was different, though. She was determined to raise the money in memory of her son.”

Around Thanksgiving time of last year, an article ran in the Deseret Morning News and caused more people across the country to donate to the scholarship, Carlson said. Friends of Jordan also put on a benefit concert in Salt Lake to raise the remaining funds necessary to reach the goal.

“I have been here for four years, and never have I seen a scholarship fully funded by a whole bunch of smaller donations,” Carlson said. “Usually Grandpa funds the scholarship with his money. But with his mother’s determination and faith, the money was raised and Jordan will always have a scholarship fund in his name.”

Fowers and her husband, Sam, were able to set the parameters for the scholarship, Carlson said. The Jordan Fowers Memorial Scholarship will be available beginning Fall 2008 to a student who considers any Latin American country as home, has a 3.0 grade point and has a greater financial need than others.

The interest made from the $40,000 will benefit a single student who meets those requirements and provide them with a half-tuition scholarship each year they are awarded this money.

“We have reached the mark and hope to keep donating and provide another scholarship,” Fowers said. “I know the scholarship happened so quickly because of Jordan’s contributions to others. I know it was my son’s efforts.”

Information from: newsnet.byu.edu

This entry was posted on Wednesday, March 21st, 2007 at 1:47 am and is filed under Education, Scholarship. Tags: Scholarship, Student. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.