SILVERTON, Oregon — It’s been almost one year since 20-year-old Jordan Hess died in a car crash.
Now, her family has created a scholarship in her honor.
“She should still be here, doing the work she was meant to do,” said her mom, MaryAnne Miller.
Hess was studying to become a special education teacher at Western Oregon University at the time of her death.
The Jordan Anne Hess Memorial Scholarship will go to a student pursuing a degree in special education.
She loved roller skating and anything Disney, but her true passion was working with children with autism. Especially because her little brother has autism.
Her mom said that Hess was a bright light who fought for inclusion and pushed for everyone to be treated with respect and kindness.
“No one is different, we are all the same. We are all human. We have blood in our system, we all breathe," Miller said. "We all are the same. We may look or we may act differently, but I am no different than the next person. And she would include that person no matter who they were."
The family hopes to award the first scholarship in the spring of 2021.
For more information on the scholarship, visit here.
The family has found another way to remember Jordan’s legacy. They’re making “anxiety bags” and giving them away for free to kids or teens experiencing stress during the pandemic.
The bags have sensory activities and toys, and are targeted toward kids with autism.
To learn more about the anxiety bags, visit here.