The Memphis High School Alumni Association has been committed to helping graduating seniors from Memphis High School achieve their post-secondary educational goals. Lorraine Burman, a lifelong resident of Memphis and the Salutatorian of the Class of 1946, has been instrumental in this mission. As the oldest living graduate, she played a key role in establishing the Memphis High School Alumni Association Fund.

Lorraine, along with Hildred Lewis, Linda Hannon, and other alumni, organized fundraisers and even passed a hat to collect money for scholarships. Their efforts led to the creation of the fund in December 2005. Since then, the fund has grown to nearly $68,000 and has provided just over $18,000 in scholarships to 13 Memphis graduates. The Community Foundation of St. Clair County holds numerous endowed scholarships, some dating back to the mid-1980s, making it the region’s largest provider of scholarship funds.

In recent years, the Community Foundation has expanded its focus beyond simply helping graduating high school seniors get a good start in college with minimally impactful nominal awards. Our new strategy emphasizes long-term college support and success. The foundation’s partnership with the Memphis High School Alumni Association is helping to support this scholarship philosophy.

Memphis High School Alumni Association members Linda Hannon and Lorraine Burman recently had the opportunity to meet the 2024 scholarship recipient, Leah Massey. At 96 years old, Lorraine remains passionate about giving back to her community.

“At first, we just passed around a hat to collect money for the scholarship,” said Lorraine. She expressed her hope to see the endowment grow to continue supporting Memphis students for years to come.

Leah plans to attend St. Clair County Community College to earn an Associate of Arts Transfer degree before transferring to a university to complete a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education. During their lunch meeting, Leah shared her experience studying Education and Early Childhood Development at St. Clair TEC, which inspired her to pursue elementary education after high school. Leah also gained valuable experience as an intern at Memphis Elementary School. “My hope is to one day become a first-grade teacher,” said Leah.

Leah and Linda both share a deep passion for teaching. Linda, an alumna of Memphis High School, dedicated her entire career to education, serving as both a teacher and secretary at Memphis schools.

If you would like to make a gift to support future students from Memphis High School, click here.