To honor the memory of Kennedi Foret, a former Nicholls State University student who was the victim of a fatal car crash in December 2021, the Nicholls State University Foundation is establishing a new endowed scholarship, according to a press release issued by the university.

The Kennedi Foret Marine Biology Undergraduate Memorial Scholarship will be awarded to female graduates of Lafourche Parish high schools majoring in Biology with a concentration in Marine Biology. Recipients can be sophomores, juniors or seniors with a 3.0 GPA and will receive a $500 scholarship broken down into two $250 per semester awards.

Foret’s mother Amber Pitre said, “This scholarship is just one way that we can let Kennedi’s light continue to shine and her love for Nicholls continue to show. To give young ladies a similar opportunity to learn about marine biology like Kennedi had at Nicholls means the world to us.”

Foret passed away on in December of 2021 following a fatal car accident. Foret’s accident followed shortly after three Nicholls State University students were killed on the way to a birthday dinner in late November of 2021. Police reported that a driver hit a car with three Nicholls State students inside, all of whom had graduated from the same high school in the spring of 2021.

Louisiana set a new record in 2021 with 914 highway crashes and 997 deaths. According to the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission’s recent Louisiana Highway Safety Plan there was a 10% increase in car crashes within the last five years and 40.6% of all fatal car crashes that occurred in 2019 were related to alcohol impairment. Governor John Bel Edwards said that these statistics were “alarming” and lamented, “The fact that there are an average of three deaths per day on Louisiana highways is unacceptable.” Impaired and distracted driving are other notable causes of highway deaths.

Across the United States, car accidents are the number one leading cause of death among 13- to 19-year-old females, and one of the leading causes of deaths for both male and female college students. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration cites several reasons for these startling statistics including distracted driving, speeding, drunk driving, driving with peers, and general inexperience. No matter the reason, when a teen is involved in a serious automobile accident, the outcome can be devastating for the families of everyone involved, particularly if injuries in teen car accidents are fatal.

Foret’s family and friends wish to make a difference for others, raise awareness and preserve Kennedi’s memory by starting the endowed scholarship. Nicholls State University also honored Kennedi’s legacy by inscribing her name into a brick near the eternal flame in the quadrangle of campus.

Nicholls Foundation Executive Director Jeremy Becker said the university has started strong in raising money for the endowment scholarship in honor of the Nicholls student, however, they have not yet met their goal. Becker hopes that the scholarship will encourage women in Louisiana to pursue a career in marine biology to help with preservation and restoration efforts along the state’s coast line.

“To have Kennedi’s name associated with recruiting future students to come to Nicholls and possibly do marine biology research in the Coastal Center that will live on our campus is something special,” Becker said. “I’d love to see solutions to some of our coastal restoration problems come from a recipient of this scholarship in her name.”

Contributions are welcome and encouraged to help meet and surpass the scholarship’s goals, to enrich the lives of women in Louisiana, and to honor the legacy of Nicholls student, Kennedi Foret. To support this scholarship, visit nichollsfoundation.org/memorial-scholarships/ or contact Jeremy Becker at 985-448-4006.

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