Troy Morgan Rebuild Fund

A few days before Christmas of 2022, I was awoken by two police officers banging on my front door. It was the kind of hard pounding that immediately tells you who it is before you even answer or look through the peephole. As a mom with teenagers, my brain immediately went into panic mode. Much to my surprise, the police asked to speak with me, even though my husband had answered the door. They proceeded to tell me that my brother, Troy, had been found dead in his home from an apparent suicide. My legs went weak, and I practically collapsed into my husband’s arms. I asked a hundred questions, most of which they didn’t have answers to.  This news was so hard to fathom-- Troy was the FRICKING coolest person. I remember being a kid and thinking I was so lucky to have a brother as cool as him. He was a blond-haired, blue-eyed surfer who had been diagnosed with cancer as a teenager and BEAT IT. He married young and lived in Hawaii for a time. He started working out—a lot. He got buff, became a powerlifter, and won competitions. He met The Rock, for goodness’ sake. He was also incredibly handy, something he always attributed to our dad. He could build anything. He loved working with his hands and eventually started his own business. See what I mean? Just plain COOL. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. Troy also went through a lot in his life. He survived things that were hard, painful, and unfair. And while I will always wish his story had ended differently, I don’t want the way he died to be the thing that defines his life. I want this scholarship to honor who he was. A builder. A survivor. A guy who knew how to work hard, use his hands, and create something from nothing. The Troy Morgan Rebuild Scholarship will help someone who has faced hardship of their own and is working toward changing their life for the better through education in construction or the skilled trades. Someone who is ready to move forward. Someone who wants to rebuild. And hopefully, with a little help, they can. That feels like the right way to honor my brother. Honor a builder by helping another person rebuild.