Jordan McFaull Memorial Scholarship awarded to Beechwood Senior Ruby Fries
Fort Mitchell, KY – May 29, 2026 – The 2026 Jordan G. McFaull Memorial Scholarship was awarded to Ruby Fries at the Beechwood High School Senior Honors Night.
Ruby Fries, a Beechwood senior, earned a 4.4 GPA and received numerous honors, including being named a Kentucky Governor’s Scholar, National Honor Society member, Track and Field Relay Team winner, and Captain of the Girl’s Varsity Soccer Team. She also earned Academic All-State recognition, National Latin Exam Certificate, AP Scholar honors, first place in the John O’Brien Mathematics Team Competition, and the Overall Achievement Award in her Biomedical and Medical Practices classes.
Passionate about making a difference in her community, Ruby volunteered with outreach programs and food-packing events to help fight hunger, serving at Master Provisions, Isaiah House Ministries and the Freestore Foodbank. She also coordinated a Wellness Day event for students and completed an internship with Faith Community Pharmacy. Ruby plans to pursue a career as a Physician Assistant in the healthcare field.
In her scholarship essay, Ruby stated, “Like Jordan, I will strive to lead my life with compassion and to selflessly serve others. Ultimately, I hope to utilize my voice and unwavering passion to create lasting change in any community I touch.”
The award was presented by Rebecca Grunkemeyer, a 2022 Beechwood alum and Jordan McFaull Scholarship recipient, and recent graduate of Vanderbilt University.
To continue Jordan’s legacy in perpetuity, an endowed scholarship fund was established with Horizon Community Foundation of Northern Kentucky, which will support the mission to raise students to greater heights. To contribute to the fund, please visit https://horizoncfnky.org/fund/jordan-g-mcfaull-scholarship-fund/
In 2016, the Jordan McFaull Memorial Scholarship was established by the Beechwood High School class of 2007 and the Beechwood Backers, in his memory and in honor of his “never quit” attitude.
The committee seeks a graduating senior who shows academic excellence, leadership, participation in extracurricular activities and a record of volunteerism in the community. The financial grant is awarded to a Beechwood senior attending a four-year college or university. The goal of the Jordan G. McFaull Scholarship Fund is to provide financial assistance to students to help them pursue and achieve their next chapter of academic success.
To learn more about the Jordan G. McFaull scholarship and award recipients, please visit: www.jordanmcfaull.com.
Fund partnerships with Horizon Community Foundation provide a flexible way for donors to support their preferred nonprofit organization or charitable effort. Donors can make an endowed gift to support the mission of the nonprofit organization for generations to come or they can opt to make a non-endowed gift which provides funding for needs as they arise in Northern Kentucky. Horizon Community Foundation offers donors and fund holders a deep connection to Northern Kentucky, including its nonprofits and needs. Scholarship funds are an effective vehicle to help students achieve their dreams of an education. These charitable funds help alleviate the cost of education and can be put toward tuition, fees, and other expenses. Donations to the fund can be made here.
About Horizon Community Foundation of Northern Kentucky
Horizon Community Foundation connects generous donors with opportunities to support the causes they care about most. Through strategic philanthropy, partnerships, and community leadership, Horizon works to strengthen Northern Kentucky and improve quality of life throughout the region.
