A new scholarship now stands as a testament to the memory of Richard "Ricky" Aspinwall, the assistant football coach and math teacher at Apalachee High School, who was tragically killed in a school shooting last year. The scholarship, founded by Derek Tiller, a former Gwinnett County high school coach, and his wife, Sarah, is set to foster the educational ambitions of student-athletes at Wofford College, where Tiller himself used to play football, as reported by FOX5.
Derek and Sarah Tiller Family Endowed Football Scholarship targets high school senior offensive linemen who seek to continue their football career at Wofford College, where the Tillers aim to support players who reflect Aspinwall's dedication to the sport, and as WGAU Radio notes, the process of securing the necessary funds for the endowment could span up to five years, however, the scholarship fund is currently open for donations and has received an initial investment.
The tragic event that preceded the establishment of the scholarship occurred last September at Apalachee High School in Barrow County, where four individuals, including two students and two teachers, lost their lives. The incident took an even darker turn as further investigations led to the arrest of 14-year-old student Colt Gray and his father, Colin Gray, the latter charged for purchasing the firearm used in the deadly incident while being aware of his son's potential threat to others and his fascination with school shooters; this chilling detail was relayed by FOX5.
For those interested in contributing to the scholarship or seeking additional information, Derek Tiller can be reached at [email protected], as mentioned on FOX5.
