Ethan Chapin’s dream was laid to rest on the morning of Nov. 13, 2022, but the seeds of a brighter future now lie in the palms of dozens of young people seeking to make their own dreams a reality.
Ethan’s Smile, a charity set up by Chapin’s family in his memory, awarded scholarships to 33 people last week after a “bittersweet” ceremony, his mother said.
Stacey Chapin told Fox News Digital that the foundation has raised far more than the $50,000 it gave out this year to endow scholarships.
“I couldn’t think of a better way to honor Ethan,” she said. “We wanted our kids to have an education and be able to be independent, so we thought, ‘Let’s give back in Ethan’s honor.'”
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University of Idaho students Ethan Chapin and Zana Kernodle. (Instagram: @ethanchapin4)
Unlike many academic scholarships, the foundation awards scholarships to students attending any accredited institution, including beauty and trade schools, she said.
“We wanted to give scholarships to every kid who has a dream,” she said. “I can’t wait for 20 years from now when these kids come back and say, ‘This is what I’ve done in my life.'”
Chapin also thanked donors from around the country, including country singer Morgan Wallen, who have helped solidify the foundation’s foundation’s foundational roots. He said he hopes to keep the endowment growing until it can cover each year’s scholarships with interest alone.
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Morgan Wallen poses with the Chapin family. Stacey Chapin said the country singer donated to Ethan’s Smile and helped raise awareness, which led to people across the country donating to the scholarship fund in her son’s honor. (Stacey Chapin)
Chapin, his girlfriend, Zana Kernodle, and two other friends, Kaylee Gonsalves and Madison Mogen, were killed in a home invasion near the campus of the University of Idaho in Moscow, Idaho, where they were all students.
The suspected killer, Brian Koberger, was a doctoral student in criminology at nearby Washington State University at the time of the stabbing.
Madison Morgen (top left) leans on her best friend Kaylee Gonsalves’ shoulder and smiles with Ethan Chapin, Zana Kernodle and two other housemates in Gonsalves’ final Instagram post, shared the day before the four students were stabbed to death. (@kayleegoncalves/Instagram)
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Koberger is being held without bail awaiting trial and could face the death penalty if convicted.
Chapin, who majored in recreation, sports and tourism management, was a triplet and his two siblings, Maisy and Hunter, are still attending college.
His parents set up a foundation called Ethan’s Smile to provide scholarships to students after the attacks. For more information on the charity and how to donate, go to Found here.
