Brandi Burgett Memorial Award Reaches Endowed Status
For Brandi Burgett (DCHS ’17), attending Saint Louis University meant being 1,800 miles from family, friends and her medical team. Yet, according to her parents, from her first campus visit she found a community that saw her, supported her and helped her pursue a degree in athletic training that would allow her to provide others the same care and understanding she received while living with Crohn’s disease.
Burgett’s career goals were cut short by her death shortly after she graduated from SLU in 2017. But her impact lives on through the scholarship her parents, Robert and Marnie Burgett, created in her memory to help future Billikens who have overcome an adversity, challenge or hardship succeed in SLU’s athletic training (AT) program.
“We would like Brandi’s legacy at SLU to be a testament to the human spirit, where her memory can instill a bright light of hope for someone going through a difficult time … a beautiful reminder of the compassionate support she received,” Robert Burgett said.
Scholarship Secured for the Future
The resulting fund, the Brandi Burgett Memorial Award, recently reached endowed status. With a corpus of $50,000 invested in the University’s endowment, it will now continue to grow over time.
“This allows the scholarship to live in perpetuity and ensure that Brandi's legacy will live on as there is an athletic training program at SLU,” said Rob Curtin, senior director of development.
Established by an initial gift from the Burgetts, the fund was nurtured by Doisy College of Health Sciences, which embraced the family’s vision for a scholarship benefiting AT students. The college’s faculty and staff raised the necessary funds to reach SLU’s $50,000 threshold for endowed funds in under 10 years.
Additional support came from the Neiter and Geisz families and SSM Health Sports Medicine, which sponsored regular fundraisers benefitting the scholarship, including the most recent event, planned for April 19.
“In general, parents hope to raise independent, productive individuals who may not change the world but can make a positive impact in the lives of those around them,” Robert Burgett said. “Words cannot begin to express what the continued support from Doisy’s faculty, staff and students means to us. [It] means that Brandi was able to do that in the short amount of time she was there.”
Supporting Students Who Persevere
Kitty Newsham, Ph.D., associate professor of physical therapy and athletic training in the college, is among those who championed the scholarship. Knowing that Burgett’s legacy will be remembered and celebrated well into the future makes the fund’s supporters proud to have played a role in bringing its endowed status to fruition, she said.
Students who apply for the award learn about facing adversity and moving forward with purpose, Newsham said, as well as the type of person Burgett was.
“Sharing her story keeps her legacy front and center for the current SLU AT students,” Newsham said. “Obstacles and challenges shape us, they don’t define us.”
Diagnosed with Crohn’s disease at age 5, Burgett spent much of her childhood at Rady Children’s Hospital–San Diego. The experience sparked her lifelong interest in the medical field, her parents said.
Knowing that we have been able to ease the financial responsibilities of students who have overcome an obstacle or hardship brings us a sense of peace and pride,” Robert Burgett said. “We are looking forward to being able to continue with these students for the years to come.”
Robert Burgett
A kind and gentle child, she was among the more than 1 million people in North America living with Crohn’s disease, a condition that can carry both physical and emotional challenges. As a teenager, she was introduced to athletic training by her high school teacher and athletic trainer, John Rentar, and never wavered from that path. An avid hockey fan, Burgett planned to pursue an AT career in that area. She volunteered with the SLU Club Hockey team under the supervision of Tim Howell, Ed.D., who provided AT services for the club, Newsham said.
“The games were typically in the evenings, after a usual day of clinical work; the arena was cold and noisy … Brandi was in her element there,” Newsham added. “Despite enduring Crohn’s disease, the arena was a happy place. She cherished those learning opportunities.”
A Legacy of Support
Those chances are have continuing on for others, thanks to the Brandi Burgett Memorial Award. Before reaching endowed status, it has already benefitted 17 SLU students, distributing $21,500 since its creation.
The awards have been a great comfort not just to her family but all who knew and loved her, her parents said.
“Knowing that we have been able to ease the financial responsibilities of students who have overcome an obstacle or hardship brings us a sense of peace and pride,” Robert Burgett said. “We are looking forward to being able to continue with these students for the years to come.”
Support the Brandi Burgett Memorial Award
Gifts to the Brandi Burgett Memorial Award support students entering the second professional year in the athletic training program.