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 Heather Dawn Hales Scholarship Award

Heather Dawn Hales was a 1994 graduate of Pine Forest High School, and a 1999 Graduate of East Carolina University. Heather’s father was killed when she was five, leaving her mother (who was a house wife) alone to raise Heather along with her three sisters. Her mother remarried when Heather was 10 years old. Her mother and stepfather were good providers, but there was never the extra money needed to save for college. Throughout her life Heather worked hard in school and for her employers. Her education came hard financially and she borrowed most all of the money that she needed to attend college while working as a waitress to supplement her living expenses. That never discouraged her, as she knew how important education was and that it would eventually pay for itself. After graduation, Heather worked as a sales representative with Alliant Food Service, then as a sales representative for Lab Corp. Her final job was with Glaxo Smith Kline as a pharmaceutical sales representative. Out of over 500 applicants, Heather got the job. In that endeavor she excelled as well, with her intelligence, personality and captivating smile she had finally made it. Then, on May 18th 2006, Heather was tragically murdered by her boyfriend. In 30 years she touched many lives and through this, she will continue to do so. Although our family has been devastated, we would not let her die in vain so our family and friends decided what better way to memorialize her than to set up a scholarship to her alma mater and the school that she loved, East Carolina University. Because Heather knew and appreciated the value of her education, and student loans were the only way that she was able to go to school, this scholarship is intended to help another young person take advantage of that same opportunity. Her story could be told for days, she was a phenomenal woman, a loving daughter, sister, and friend, beautiful on the inside and out. To whoever is the recipient of this scholarship, please know that this scholarship is available because someone special touched so many lives.