Howard County’s community foundation, The Columbia Foundation, which raises, manages and distributes funds to support nonprofits throughout Howard County, will take over administration of the Aaron Worley Memorial Scholarship Fund for high school seniors pursuing higher education. The scholarship honors Aaron Worley, an 18-year-old Wilde Lake High School senior who died of leukemia in 2000.

“Aaron’s spirit lives on in the scholarship. He was fun-loving and creative and became a talented runner by his senior year. He also wrestled and coached youth wrestling. He kept courage and a sense of humor until the end. We always enjoy being part of awarding the scholarship in his honor,” Aaron’s mother Ann Worley said.

The Columbia Foundation will award the annual $1,000 scholarship in 2013 to a graduating senior from Howard County Public Schools who has shown a commitment to community, academics and sportsmanship and plans to attend any two-year or four-year college, university or trade school. Students must submit an application, essay and letter of recommendation to their schools’ guidance departments. Each school will select and forward one finalist’s application for consideration by The Columbia Foundation.

The Howard County Striders, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting lifetime fitness through running, administered the scholarship previously. Aaron Worley raced with the Striders.