Suzanne Alston, Laura Resendez and Bryan Alston at the SFA Scholarship Reception on March 23, 2012

Last Friday night we had the privilege of meeting one of the SFA recipients of the Lauren Alston Memorial Scholarship.  Her name is Laura and she is a warm, open, delightful young woman.  Now had it been me I would have been extremely intimidated because you see there was seven of us at the reception to meet her.  It was both sets of Lauren’s grandparents, Sharron & Roy Dean Alston and Sue & John Jasper, a friend of Lauren’s,  Adam O. and us, her parents.  Granted she didn’t know there would be seven of us until she walked up to the table but she handled it very well.  We talked with her for an hour, learned about her life and found some unexpected connections.  She wants to work in the travel industry and will graduate in May 2013.  She was friendly, active in the conversation and asked us questions about our life.  She has a younger brother, who has visited her at SFA, which has inspired him to work hard in school because he now wants to attend SFA when he graduates high school.  We found out she lives in the same house that Bryan’s brother, Todd, lived in while attending SFA.  She has some of the same qualities as Lauren and when we saw her finger it sealed the deal for us…she had on a James Avery ring.  Anyone that knew Lauren knows how much she loved James Avery jewelry and had many pieces.  Laura’s ring was the Mother’s Love ring that her Mom had given her.  My Mother had just told me she was wanted to buy me the Mother’s Love charm for my new charm bracelet.  Now that is a Godwink…a sign to us we had picked the right recipient…the ring and the wonderful meeting we had with Laura.

Bryan and I are now reviewing the new applicants for this coming year.  Please pray that we pick worthy young adults that will after graduation carry on the LAF mission of helping others.