Ally's Story

The Allison Dewart Memorial Scholarship Foundation remembers a remarkable young woman, whose bright light shone too briefly but whose life was a beacon of love and friendship.

Beautiful daughter, loving friend, diligent student, selfless volunteer, athlete... Ally was an accomplished and delightful girl before tragedy caused her death at the age of 18. Home for the holidays in January, 2006, after her first semester of college, a drunk wrong-way driver struck the car in which Ally was a passenger. Both drivers were killed instantly. Ally and three other girls in the car were catastrophically injured. Her friends survived, but Ally did not.

One thousand mourners attended Ally's memorial service - friends, schoolmates, teammates, families and members from Neighborhood Church – from her years of sports, school, church and volunteer activities. Ally was a vivacious, outgoing girl who gave more than she took, who welcomed everyone she met as a friend, and who extended that hand of friendship to many who needed one. In sports, school and church, Ally embodied the spirit of inclusion. She lived her brief life giving to others.

 An outpouring of love and sympathy in the form of donations came in from family and friends when Ally died. These gifts were transformed by Ally's family into the Allison Dewart Memorial Scholarship Foundation. She may have been prevented from achieving her college dreams, but her Foundation offers help to other young women to pursue that opportunity in her name.

Today, Ally's Foundation awards two college scholarships every year to young athletes from her alma mater, West High School in Torrance, California, where she was captain of the varsity soccer team and also competed in track and volleyball. The board of the Foundation seeks applicants who demonstrate the same determination Ally possessed to better themselves through academics and athletics while striving to also better their community.

Allison Dewart Memorial Scholarship application

The Allison Dewart Memorial Scholarship is pleased to offer two grants for graduates of the class of 2024: $8,000 ($2,000 per year for four years) and $4,000 ($1,000 per year for four years). Graduating senior females from West Torrance High School are eligible to apply subject to the following minimum criteria:

1. Listed as a player (injured or not) on the team roster in any one of three sports (soccer, track or volleyball) in three of their four high school years, one of which must be their senior year.
2. Acceptance at a four-year institution.
3. Academic Overall Non-weighted G.P.A. of 3.0 or greater.

Applicants must not have earned a four-year FULL academic or athletic scholarship.  Completed applications must be submitted by the specified due dates.  All applicants will be notified of award status.  Award checks will be provided upon furnishing proof of enrollment.

donate

Thank you for considering a donation to the Allison Dewart Memorial Scholarship Foundation.  Your donation in Allison's name not only remembers her beautiful and inspiring life; it also continues Ally's legacy of outreach, encouragement and support to her classmates and friends.  Your donation, which is 100% tax deductible, will help another special young woman pursue her collegiate dreams. Our ADMSF IRS Tax I.D. is 22-3952448.

About us

Mission Statement

The Foundation was created in memory of Allison Dewart, West High class of 2005 to award college scholarship funds to one or more West High students. Donations to the Foundation are fully tax-deductible under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.

BOARD MEMBERS

President- Susan Swinburne

Treasurer- Z Dewart

Secretary- Michael Dewart

Members- Sara Cunningham, Kevin Cox, Aimie Billon & Emily Capers

RECIPIENTS

2024- Lucy Hasemayer & Masami Fumimoto

2023- Gabriela Nieraeth & Marina McCamant

2022-Jordan Salmon & Samantha Gonzalez

2021-Mikayla Hetrick & Karah Lee

2020-Sydney Etherington & Katie Yang

2019-Alisa Saito & Brianna Mena

2018- Jessica Goucher & Kalie Slivkoff

2017- Kristen Voelzke & Emily Lopez

2016- Devoney Amberg & Samantha Layman

2015- Morgan Holubets & Thea Bergen

ESTATE PLANNING

A great education is a gift that keeps on giving, and as of 2024 the Allison Dewart Memorial Scholarship Foundation achieved the crucial benchmark of fully endowing the current two scholarships. Thanks to the great generosity of our donors, the Foundation will be able to continue giving its current two scholarships ($8,000 and $4,000, respectively) every year, in perpetuity. Our next goal is to expand the amount of assistance we provide to our Allison Dewart Scholars.

We invite you to consider including Ally’s foundation in your estate plan. Bequests, gifts of stock, or naming the foundation among the beneficiaries of life insurance can help to increase the level of scholarship support that we are able to contribute to young women students.

We are very proud to say that one of our supporters recently notified us that they have named the Allison Dewart Memorial Scholarship Foundation as a beneficiary of their estate plan. Their gift is a secure investment in the lives of future Allison Dewart Scholars because the Foundation's funds are professionally managed to ensure that our scholarship awards - and Ally's memory - continue. Bequests and other types of estate gifts help the fund to grow, become stronger, and offer greater assistance to our scholars.

To find out more about how to include ADMSF as an estate plan beneficiary, please send an email to ADMSF10@aol.com.

Thank you sponsors