Be A Light, Payton Grady Memorial Scholarship Fund

Payton’s first home, until six months of age when she moved to West Virginia, would be on Potomac Street in Cumberland Maryland. It wasn’t a big house, but big enough for this family of three, along with 2 dogs: Dozer and Delaney. The house really needed a revolving door due to all the friends and family that came to visit. Everyone was blessed by this beautiful addition to the family. Mommy was so excited to have a baby girl to play dress-up with and continued to do so throughout her life, still relying on mommy for the perfect hair day. The spot-on makeup was all her though. She would find any reason to dress up but don’t let that fool you, as she would get dirty with the best of them. She loved running around barefoot and playing in the rain, especially if this meant getting muddy. Some days you wouldn’t know where to find her and she would be on the farm, up to her boots covered in pig or chicken manure. She had an undeniable love for animals which continued throughout her life. During her younger years, she preferred to be playing outside or hanging with her family, rather than sitting at a desk. She began dancing and gymnastics at a young age. Going to practice was always a struggle, you would not have known this when she was shining on stage. She was a natural-born performer and never once had stage fright. We don’t really know where she got all her confidence from, but she would never shy away from the spotlight.

Middle school is where she really started enjoying going to school and was one of the few selected for the STOP program. Her extracurricular activities were balanced well between volleyball and cheerleading, always maintaining her GPA to make the honor roll. Her compassion for others started at a young age but it really came out during holidays when the school would do a fundraiser, in which kids would send message-grams to other kids. She would pay attention to who wasn’t receiving one and ensured she sent them one, so they didn’t feel left out. She would also ensure that her old toys and books were given to someone less fortunate.

Payton was a genuine soul who cared about others. Her great uncle Roy would travel many miles to the house for weekly Bible studies. It was during one of these studies where Payton asked Jesus into her heart and was saved! Jesus lived in her heart and she believed the Bible was God’s message to us. She led by example “feed the hungry, give clothes to the needy, because you may just be entertaining angels unaware.” Asking Jesus into her heart and being baptized by her uncle Roy was the most important thing she had ever done, which will allow many of us to be united with her one day.

High School is where she began preparing for her future. She was excited when she was selected for the ECHO program. This opportunity allowed her to explore different healthcare options and her interest was sparked during her experience at the Shock Trauma Unit in Baltimore Maryland. She told us that she and her positive outlook on life was a perfect fit for her career choice. Dreaming of becoming a nurse, she began in the Health Science program at the Mineral County Vo-tech. She also continued to cheer and maintain a 4.0 GPA throughout high school. Payton always strived for the best grades and would always encourage her friends to do the same, at times she would take on the parenting role, and go as far a checking their live grades.

She always loved to have her picture taken, even as a little girl she had her own personal photographer. One of her proudest pictures was the day she passed her driver’s test and had her license to prove it. We wouldn’t know how bittersweet this day would become, as this would be the last picture and memory her photographer would ever be able to capture of her. Thank you, Grams, for capturing the last 16 years.

Playing outdoors and hanging with her friends was one of her favorite past times. One day, while making a typical teenage decision, against her parent’s advice, she was a passenger on a UTV that ended up in an accident. She was not wearing a helmet, nor belted in. No one, including Payton, would have foreseen that decision would be life changing. Payton would want others to learn from her mistake and protect others from this tremendous heartache.

Payton’s smile lit up a room wherever she went, and her laugh was contagious. She always wanted the best for everyone, even those she never met. She had so many wonderful qualities; sweet, forgiving, kind and a true friend to those who needed her most. She loved to sing to music and knew all the words to her favorite songs, she loved cereal, fruit snacks and popsicles. Her beautiful blonde hair with natural highlights and pretty blue eyes showcased her beautiful smile, even with braces. Those braces were to come off in just a few short months and she was so excited. Payton was a true light in this world of darkness.

In her memory, we have established the “Be a Light – Payton Grady Memorial Scholarship.” Her precious memory will never be forgotten, and her legacy will carry on through her scholarship, which will help a high school senior pursuing a career in healthcare and possessing the qualities Payton exhibited in her life.

This scholarship is awarded in memory of Payton Grady to a Frankfort High School graduate that meets the following criteria: a minimum unweighted GPA of 3.5, acceptance into a 2 or 4-year college program in the healthcare field, and exhibit qualities such as were exemplified by Payton (kindness, selflessness, and leadership in accepting and including others).