One local mother is remembering her daughter by giving to others.
Jessica Anthony of Goehner hopes to help high school students experience their dream prom with the Norah Neff Dream Dress Scholarship, which she created to honor her daughter, Norah Neff, who passed away in January.
The scholarship will be available through an application process to any student who attends high school in Seward County.
Anthony said Neff was a typical teenage girl.
“Norah was spunky, sassy, smart, caring and very protective of her family and friends,” she said. “She loved shopping, doing her hair and makeup and making Tik Tok videos. She was also always really good with handling issues beyond her age.”
Anthony said she started the scholarship because she and Norah had always talked about prom.
“I started thinking, what is something that I could do in her honor?” she said. “She wasn’t crazy about school, so it didn’t really seem right to do an educational scholarship.”
With that in mind, Anthony created the prom scholarship instead.
“I thought about the kids that needed help with some of those special events in high school,” she said. “Some of those experiences are really important to kids in high school. I thought if I can’t ever take Norah shopping for her prom dress, I want to provide that experience to kids who maybe otherwise wouldn’t get to go.”
Anthony said the application will be available on a Google form. The scholarship will be available to both boys and girls. There will also be brochures in all of the Seward County schools with more information about the scholarship and Norah’s life.
The scholarship deadline will be Dec. 1 and a winner will be selected around Dec. 15.
“My plan is to give out up to five scholarships in a year in the amount of $200 each,” Anthony said. “They can choose to take the $200 and put it toward the purchase of their outfit, or they can go through ReDressed Formals in Wakefield and get their outfit from there.”
ReDressed Formals has partnered with Anthony to help out with the scholarship by giving kids who are awarded the scholarship the chance to order through their shop.
“ReDressed Formals buys dresses wholesale and then sells them. The most she usually charges is $200,” Anthony said. “She’s been super nice and super supportive, and my hope is that we’ll be able to give out all five of the scholarships.”
Although the passing of her daughter has been tough on her and her family, Anthony said she’s happy to be able to offer this scholarship.
“It gives me joy to be able to do something nice for other people,” she said.
Anthony also said she cannot accept donations of dresses.
“I don’t have the capacity to manage physical dress donations,” she said. “If anyone wanted to donate to the scholarship, they certainly could.”
Anthony wanted to make others aware she is not asking for donations, and that her main goal is honoring her daughter, Norah.
Anyone with questions regarding the scholarship can email norahneffdreamdress@gmail.com.
