Ben and Elisabeth Garrison Endowment

In 2005, my mom, Elisabeth Garrison, established a scholarship endowment for $200,000 with the McKinney Education Foundation. This endowment would provide scholarships to graduating seniors from the McKinney Independent School District. She wanted a perpetual, self-sustaining gift that would continue on forever that would give assistance to seniors who wanted to go to college. Her passion was for everyone who had a desire for college be given the opportunity.

In 2013, my mom lost her extremely brave battle to cancer. Assuring her legacy and passion continue on, she left a surprise endowment to the McKinney Education Foundation in the amount of $2,225,000! We all knew this kind of gift would make a huge impact on the lives of scholarship recipients each year. Our family is honored to pay our respects to her in our own unique ways. I have served on the McKinney Education Foundation, Board of Trustees for the past five years and President the last two years. My family attends the scholarship awards ceremony each year to present her named scholarships. We are so proud of her legacy and the lives she continues to change year after year.

Elisabeth Garrison wanted students who worked hard and studied hard in school to be able to attend any college and cost not be a burden. Since 2014, her scholarships have allowed over 12 students to attend the college of their choice with more than $300,000 in scholarships to-date. We have followed the progress of these students and it is truly amazing the life altering difference her gift has made.

Our hope is that more families will continue this tradition and establish endowments to forever change the lives of graduating seniors. There are many quotes about education but this is a favorite, "Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today." We are forever grateful our mom, Elisabeth Garrison, had the vision to establish this memorial scholarship endowment.

Live, Love, Give... Live everyday to the fullest as we are not promised tomorrow.

Denise Holthaus (Daughter of Elisabeth Garrison)

If you would like to donate to this endowment, click here.