Scholarship Criteria:
The Scioto Foundation has announced the creation of the Mamie Brisker Pettit Memorial Scholarship Fund, established by Carrie Brisker Purcell to honor the memory of her sister who died suddenly in 2018 at the age of 40.
To be eligible for the scholarship, a student must be a graduating senior at Minford and/or Notre Dame High School, have a minimum grade point average of 3.0 on a scale of 4.0 and show evidence of excellence in academics and athletics.
An external committee of family members, along with officials from Minford and Notre Dame High Schools, will make annual scholarship selections. In the event that the committee no longer exists or wishes to make annual selections, scholarship awards will be made by the volunteer scholarship committee of the Scioto Foundation.
In addition to donations from family and friends, the Brisker family plan to help raise funds for the scholarship with the proceeds from a Notre Dame – Minford basketball game at Notre Dame High School next February, according to Mamie’s sister Carrie Brisker Purcell. The first Mamie Brisker Pettit Memorial Scholarship will be given in 2020 and the family hopes that eventually one can be given to a graduate at each of the designated high schools.
“We wanted to do something and setting up the scholarship was one way to give high school kids some money in her name,” said Carrie. “And doing it with Notre Dame and Minford and raising money through the basketball ball game because she played basketball throughout high school and college.”
Carrie and her husband Matt explained that their children go to Notre Dame Schools and she and her sibling, along with many of their Brisker relatives, attended the Minford Schools.
Born on February 27, 1978 in Hillsboro, Ohio, Mamie was the daughter of Fred and the late Cindy Brisker. She graduated from Minford High School in 1996 and from Shawnee State University with a bachelor’s degree in Health Administration in 2000. While in high school, Mamie played several sports, including volleyball and track in addition to basketball. She and her sister Carrie were teammates on the SSU 1999 national championship team and both are members of the Minford High School Hall of Fame, along with their father. Mamie was also elected to the Shawnee State Basketball Hall of Fame and the Ohio Basketball Association Hall of Fame.
Mamie went on to earn a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from Toledo and was close to completing a PhD degree.
Known to be outgoing and adventuresome, Mamie “was one of the few people to leave the Minford area,” according to her brother-in-law Matt. She moved to Florida where she worked for the South Florida AIDS Foundation for several years as an event planner, coordinating programs like continuing education sessions for doctors. She also worked for the University of Miami (Florida) for a short while.
In 2007 Mamie met her future husband, Greg Pettit, and they were married on November 10, 2013. On January 1, 2016, the couple moved to Boquete, Panama and established a hostel, La Jungla Experience, where she put her event-planning skills to good use. .
“She was an event planner extraordinaire,” said her husband.
She and Greg traveled widely, visiting approximately 20 countries during their time together. Greg remains in Panama with their beloved greyhound Floyd and has now converted the hostel to an Airbnb.
“Mamie knew no strangers,” her sister said, “and was well-known all over the world.” She was involved with volunteer work and fundraising in Panama as well as in southern Florida. She loved children and animals; Mamie and Greg were very supportive of their nieces and nephews and were foster parents, noted the family members.
“I can’t think of a better way to honor the life of Mamie. She was one of a kind and everybody loved her. This scholarship will always allow us to honor her on a permanent basis,” said her father, Fred Brisker. “I want to thank the Scioto Foundation for this recognition. Mamie deserved it.”
Additions to the Mamie Brisker Pettit Memorial Scholarship Fund may be made by friends, family and supporters in the form of gifts of cash, securities or property at any time. Further information about other planned giving opportunities may be obtained by contacting Scioto Foundation Executive Director Kim Cutlip or Patty Tennant, Program Officer – Donor Services at the Scioto Foundation office, (740) 354-4612, or by visiting the SF website at www.sciotofoundation.org.