Kathy Rose Memorial Scholarship of Hope

Friends of Kathy Rose started a memorial scholarship fund in her name when they learned breast cancer would soon cut her life short. After consulting with Kathy, they set up a fund for Marble Falls High School graduates going to Texas Tech University, her alma mater.

“We had to do something,” said Patty McAlpin, a close friend and fellow Texas Tech graduate. “People cannot forget the perseverance, the grit she showed. We look for applicants who personify Kathy’s love for life, her perseverance when facing hardship.”

With a degree from the Restaurant, Hotel, and Institutional Management program at Texas Tech, Kathy Rose netted a job at Horseshoe Bay Resort. She was active in her community and participated in a variety of fundraisers, including the Susan G. Komen Walk for Breast Cancer Research. When she died in 2017 at the age of 45, memorials were put toward a scholarship fund in her name.

“Kathy was known for her big smile and even bigger heart,” McAlpin said. “She had an infectious positive attitude. She made me want to do better and be better.”

The scholarship has become an important touchstone for Kathy’s friends and family.

“Every year, someone is going to hear me or someone else stand up there (during the awards ceremonies) and say what a great person Kathy Rose was,” McAlpin continued. “She wasn’t interested in that, but she loved kids. She was a Mustang fan and a Red Raider fan, so we just combined all those loves in this scholarship.”