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Ashley Nicole Adrahtas Scholarship Fund


Established 2022

The Ashley Nicole Adrahtas Scholarship Fund was created by Lisa and Tony Adrahtas of Naples, Florida in loving memory of their daughter. This scholarship fund has been established to support individuals seeking careers in veterinary medicine.

Ashley was born on May 27, 1996, to the Adrahtas Family. She was raised in Plainfield, Illinois where she attended Crystal Lawns Elementary School, Timber Ridge Middle School, and Plainfield Central High School. Ashley was an exceptionally good student. She loved to write and often spent hours creating fictional stories about anything and everything. She would recite them to us with the same passion she wrote them.

Growing up, she participated in several activities … Ballet, Dance, Soccer, Softball, Gymnastics, Ice Skating, Irish Dancing, and Cheerleading. It was clear that team sports were not her “thing.” While she excelled at Gymnastics and Figure Skating, her passion became Cheerleading. She would routinely practice and demonstrate her skills to us. Ashley was a member of the Plainfield Central Cheer Squad and participated in several cheer competitions through the years. She was all of five’2” and weighed about ninety pounds. That made her the “flyer” or the person at the top of the formation, getting tossed around like a rag doll during football, basketball games and competitions.

Ashley loved to travel and especially enjoyed Florida and the beach. One of her grandmother’s made Florida her full-time residence. Each summer, they had a weeklong Grandparent/Grandchild Holiday. From the time Ashley was 6 until 16, she would fly there and spend the week with her. Through the years she made several more trips to Florida, cruises to the Bahama’s and various other places with family and friends. One week before her passing, she spent several days with us in Naples and had a wonderful time boating, watching dolphins, dining out and relaxing by our pool.

From an early age, it was evident that Ashley loved pets. Her first was a Cockatoo named Freddy. From there it was fish and other pets, and the first family dog, Madison. About three ½ years ago, Ashley acquired her baby, Demi, the Pitbull/Jack Russel mix you see pictured. She loved and treated that dog like it was her child … it was her child.

She was employed by The St. Charles Emergency Veterinary Clinic and was learning and advancing her skills. She was so excited and wanted to perform more procedures to her 4-legged patients. Often, she would text and call with incredible stories of the work she and her colleagues performed on animals. In her last visit with us, she mentioned going back to school, which we encouraged. She certainly was smart enough and capable of becoming a veterinarian one day.

On November 27, 2021, Ashley was tragically killed in a car accident at the age of 25. We will never understand why God took her from us at such an early age, but we are certain there is a good reason. We know you are enjoying your new set of wings and surrounded by your friends, Andrew Meyers and Jamie Lynn Pay, along with Papa Nally, Gaga and Papa Mensch, Grandma and Grandpa Kabat and Yia Yia and Popou Adrahtas.

The animals in heaven are happier, even though we are so much sadder.

We are humbled by the overwhelming support of our family, friends, and community and will forever be grateful. Our family is hurt but we are strong and will forever be grateful for the 25 years that we had with Ashley.

Please help us with our mission by donating to Ashley’s Scholarship Fund so that others may have the opportunity to benefit. Our intent is to keep Ashley’s name eternal.

 

This fund profile has been written by the Fund Advisors.

YEP has made me realize the importance of being involved in my community, and how to make a difference. There are a lot of problems in the world but if we can do everything that we can to help the world will become a better place. YEP has helped me realize this and encouraged me to help more people in the future.

Madi Porter

YEP Member

I am incredibly grateful for the generosity of the Zari Foundation Scholarship and the Community Foundation in supporting my education. I am majoring in mechanical engineering with a concentration in aerospace engineering at the Rose-Hulman Institue of Technology. In my spare time, I volunteer on campus, in the community and I’m also the principal violist in the symphony orchestra. I hope to make an impact on the next chapter of space exploration by eventually working at a groundbreaking aerospace company such as SpaceX or NASA.

Taytum Newell

Albert M. Zari Scholarship Recipient

Being a part of the Community Foundation scholarship committee is the highlight of my year. For many, a scholarship from the CFFRV is the reason they are able to continue reaching for their dreams and changing the future of our world. I hope each recipients knows just how inspirational they are to those of us who are lucky enough to read their stories.

Jessica Breugelmans

Scholarship Committee Member and Board Member

Give your gift of time and see what it means to the people you impact. Helping others is what life is all about.

Neal Ormond

Donor & Fund Advisor

Education is important to us. We support causes that touch our lives and align with our values. We believe in paying it forward. We are here for a short time,, and it is the next generation that will take on what we leave behind.

Michelle Emanuel

Donor and Past Scholarship Recipient

YEP was a great experience to have in high school. I became a more confident person, someone with a lot more perspective. Coming from a small school, YEP allowed me to branch out into my community, meet students from other schools, and learn about their backgrounds. I made some great friends and still keep in touch with them today.

Abby Vagnoni

YEP Alumni

Grant funds from the Community Foundation helped provide updated technology. These upgrades were transformative. By creating new time saving processes, it turned us into a more efficient organization.

Marie Wilkinson Food Pantry

Grantee

Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley

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