Photo courtesy of Wendy Piepho
In 2013, Wendy Piepho and her husband, Richard, established the Alexandra Grace Piepho Endowment Scholarship Fund in honor of their daughter who passed away in December of 2012. The Piepho’s also created a scholarship in Ally’s name at the college she attended, Case-Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio.
Alexandra, or Ally, was a graduate of Naperville Central High School’s Class of 2012. The Alexandra Grace Piepho Scholarship is awarded to Naperville Central High School seniors who demonstrate a passion for learning, curiosity for life and a definitive willingness to learn.
“She adored school and she adored District 203,” Wendy said. “She was a very enthusiastic student, and she was happy to be there, cheerful, and a friendly person that people could confide in.”
Ally was the type of person who would constantly want to learn something new, even if it didn’t directly relate to her studies, and share what she learned with her friends and family.
“Ally was an only child, she was a good kid, but she loved learning,” Wendy shared. “She loved exploring things and she was very proud of being a straight-A student. She was smart, but she also worked hard to do it. But she also enjoyed life, and she was a happy person.”
Ally’s love for school and learning extended beyond her own studies. She was always willing to lend a helping hand to her classmates if they were having trouble in class.
“In junior high a teacher had mentioned something to her about helping students in her class,” Wendy shared. “All of a sudden she became the more helpful person, where the teachers could use her to help with the other students.”
Wendy knew her daughter was a kind person and a good student, but after she passed she learned more about Ally’s life at school.
“I knew she was a good kid, but after she passed I learned she was a very kind person inside that I didn’t always see,” Wendy said. “People wrote me notes or just told me stories about how she encouraged them to do something outside of what they were comfortable doing.”
The Alexandra Grace Piepho Scholarship has allowed the Piepho’s to keep Ally’s name alive. Because the scholarship is an endowment, students will benefit from it for many years to come.
“I want her out there,” Wendy said. “I want her name out there and I want people to think about her.”
Since its establishment, 12 Naperville Central High School students have received the Alexandra Grace Piepho Scholarship, continuing Ally’s legacy of a passion for learning.
Contact NEF if you are interested in creating a lasting impact for Naperville 203 students through establishing an endowment.
