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Celebrating The Life Of Andrea McKenna Through An Endowed Scholarship

“Andi was blessed to know early in her life that she had the ability to work with people and touch their lives.”
By Tura King, Texas A&M Marketing & Communications September 19, 2007

Andrea McKenna
Andrea E. (Andi) McKenna ’08

(Texas A&M Education and Human Development)

To honor the life of the late Andrea E. “Andi” McKenna, a special education student from Galveston and a member of Texas A&M University’s Class of 2008, her family has established the Andrea E. “Andi” McKenna ’08 Memorial Scholarship in Special Education.

When McKenna died last May, her parents, Sissy and John McKenna, who graduated from Texas A&M in 1979 and 1978 respectively, and her sister and brother, Lauren and Johnny, decided to honor her life and her dedication to assisting those with special needs by establishing the scholarship.

“Andi was blessed to know early in her life that she had the ability to work with people and touch their lives,” said Sissy McKenna. “She was able to reach people that no one else could.”

At the age of 15, she became a counselor at a day camp where she was willing to wait two weeks later than everyone else for her first paycheck because she was not supposed to be hired until she turned 16. She worked at the camp for two summers and, during her junior year in high school, became involved in “Best Buddies” — a mentoring program at her high school that worked with people with special needs. This experience led her to volunteer in an elementary special education class during her senior year of high school.

“When she would enter a room with children in it, they would be drawn to her like a magnet,” her father said.

They say it is no surprise that her summers away from Texas A&M were spent working at Camp Summit in Fort Worth, a facility that provides a residential camping experience for children, youth and adults with disabilities to broaden their life experiences and increase their independence and social skills.

“She spent countless hours and many summers at CampSummit working with children and adults with special needs and physical disabilities,” said McKenna’s mother. “It is truly a remarkable place with remarkable people.”

McKenna was on her way to Camp Summit in May when heavy rain contributed to her fatal car accident.

While a student at Texas A&M, McKenna, who was passionate about her Catholic faith, was president of the Kappa Theta Beta Catholic Sorority. She also was a part of the Lohman Learning Community and participated in Project Sunshine. She lived with her sister, Lauren, who is a student at Sam Houston State University, and her dog, Sadie. Her brother, Johnny, hopes to transfer to Texas A&M and, like his sister, major in special education.

The McKennas have donated Andi’s Aggie Ring to The Association of Former Student’s ring collection. Her ring will represent the Class of 2008.

Her family says they take comfort in knowing her legacy also will live on in recipients of the endowed scholarship, and that students who shared her compassion for and desire to serve children with special needs will get financial assistance toward their education.

The endowed scholarship is designated for a junior or senior in the college pursuing a degree in special education and will award $1,250 annually. This year’s recipient is Julie Ness.

“We want Julie and future recipients to know what a caring young woman Andi was,” said Sissy. “She was selfless and loved what she did. She never did anything halfway. One of the many things we have taken away from this tragedy is that you should live every day like it is your last. I know that sounds so cliché, but it is true. That is what Andi did.”

Media contact: tamunews@tamu.edu.

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