Scholarship

About the Avery Burton “Excellence in Academics & Sports” Memorial Scholarship

Rich or poor, male or female, young or old, black or white, depression does not discriminate. ABF empowers people dealing with physical or emotional trauma in their life through academic scholarship and outreach. 

Established in 2018 and named after Foothill High School and University of Nevada Las Vegas alum Avery R. Burton, who suffered a major depressive episode and lost his life to suicide in 2017. He had plans to attend UNLV Physical Therapy School and pursue a doctoral degree. Avery was part of an alarming health statistic at the time of his passing: 1 in 4 college students suffers from depression.

Avery was a three-sport scholar athlete in high school and graduated cum laude from UNLV with a degree in Kinesiological Sciences. He accomplished much in his short life and lived by his motto posted on his Facebook profile: “I don’t have weekdays in my calendar – only strong days.” 

To honor his memory and encourage conversation about mental health, The Burton Family formed the non–profit Avery Burton Foundation and scholarship. The Avery Burton Excellence in Academics & Sports Memorial Scholarships currently awards $1,000 scholarships to Clark County High School students in Henderson, NV. The scholarship is administered by the Public Education Foundation. All applicants are required to write an essay that describes dealing with adversity and the tools used to overcome the challenge. 

For more information visit https://thepef.academicworks.com/donors/burton-family or email info@averyburtonfoundation.org.