Hello OSU family.
I need to take a moment today to tell a story, and ask a favor.
My daughter's name is Lauren Lenaburg.
She was a great kid… beautiful, smart, funny, and sharp as tack. She was an Owasso HS graduate (2015) who went on to attend Oklahoma State on a full ride scholarship after scoring a 34 on her ACT. She graduated Oklahoma State Magna Cum Laude in 2020 with a 4.0 gpa and a distinguished degree in engr (IE). She had been married for 3 years, and was halfway through her Master’s degree program also at Oklahoma State. She was our only child and had not yet had any children.
She passed away this past September (9/12/2023). It was tragic, and it was totally unexpected.
She was dealing with some stress and anxiety issues, which included counselling and prescription medications as a part that process. Despite those efforts, she took her own life in a heated moment that ended in disaster and heart break for those of left behind.
It seems to me that it was one brief moment where she just could not see how much she was loved, how much she mattered, and how important she was to her husband, her family, and her friends.
In retrospect, there were signs. We missed them. I missed them. There are no words that I know to tell how much it hurts to have to type those words.
Which brings me to the favor I would like to ask…
We would like it if no one ever had to type those words. No parent should ever have to bury their child.
While we cannot do anything to bring Lauren back to us, we would like to try to do something to honor her memory, and to do at least some small thing to bring some awareness to these mental health issues that can lead to such tragedy.
To that end, in an endeavor to educate others and support students attending Oklahoma State, we have established a memorial scholarship in her name. Through this scholarship, we hope to tell this part of Lauren’s story. It may be that this can help others find a better way.
The scholarship funding goes through OSU. It is 100% tax deductible. If you choose to donate, OSU will sent you a tax receipt for your records.
We need to raise $25,000 to endow the scholarship which will then be awarded on an annual basis. If we get more than that, then the annual scholarship amount can be increased, or we can award multiple scholarships per year.
If you the ability and the inclination to help us fund this memorial scholarship, it would mean a lot.
Lauren (Lenaburg) Hara Memorial Scholarship
I need to take a moment today to tell a story, and ask a favor.
My daughter's name is Lauren Lenaburg.
She was a great kid… beautiful, smart, funny, and sharp as tack. She was an Owasso HS graduate (2015) who went on to attend Oklahoma State on a full ride scholarship after scoring a 34 on her ACT. She graduated Oklahoma State Magna Cum Laude in 2020 with a 4.0 gpa and a distinguished degree in engr (IE). She had been married for 3 years, and was halfway through her Master’s degree program also at Oklahoma State. She was our only child and had not yet had any children.
She passed away this past September (9/12/2023). It was tragic, and it was totally unexpected.
She was dealing with some stress and anxiety issues, which included counselling and prescription medications as a part that process. Despite those efforts, she took her own life in a heated moment that ended in disaster and heart break for those of left behind.
It seems to me that it was one brief moment where she just could not see how much she was loved, how much she mattered, and how important she was to her husband, her family, and her friends.
In retrospect, there were signs. We missed them. I missed them. There are no words that I know to tell how much it hurts to have to type those words.
Which brings me to the favor I would like to ask…
We would like it if no one ever had to type those words. No parent should ever have to bury their child.
While we cannot do anything to bring Lauren back to us, we would like to try to do something to honor her memory, and to do at least some small thing to bring some awareness to these mental health issues that can lead to such tragedy.
To that end, in an endeavor to educate others and support students attending Oklahoma State, we have established a memorial scholarship in her name. Through this scholarship, we hope to tell this part of Lauren’s story. It may be that this can help others find a better way.
The scholarship funding goes through OSU. It is 100% tax deductible. If you choose to donate, OSU will sent you a tax receipt for your records.
We need to raise $25,000 to endow the scholarship which will then be awarded on an annual basis. If we get more than that, then the annual scholarship amount can be increased, or we can award multiple scholarships per year.
If you the ability and the inclination to help us fund this memorial scholarship, it would mean a lot.
Lauren (Lenaburg) Hara Memorial Scholarship
