Brian M. Smith Memorial Scholarship

A scholarship in memory of Brian Smith is keeping his passion for learning alive even though the University of Nebraska–Lincoln student's life was cut short one year ago.

A massive heart attack while on a spring break study trip was the only sign of a pre-existing health condition. Smith died March 15, 2008, while he and other College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources students were on an 11-day study trip in Puerto Rico.

Family, friends, professors and fellow students have participated in fundraisers since Smith's death to create the Brian M. Smith Memorial Scholarship Fund at the University of Nebraska Foundation. Numerous donors have given more than $11,000 to the fund that provides scholarships to students in the college and donations are still being accepted to the fund.

"While a student in the fisheries and wildlife degree program, Brian grew into a confident, successful and academically accomplished young adult," said Jo Ann Smith, Brian's mother. "He was happily pursuing his love of nature and he was excited about the endless possibilities in his future. The College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources played a major role in how Brian viewed himself and the world around him."