Give to the Ashley Nicole Strum Memorial Endowed Scholarship

When she was just 10 years old, Ashley Nicole Strum asked her parents to sign her up to play in a softball league. It turned out that she was a natural.

Strum, an honor student, also was a gifted artist, her mother said. 

The family’s home is filled with her framed pencil drawings and oil and acrylic painting and she was offered a chance to study at the prestigious Florida Art Institute in Fort Lauderdale.

“She had this natural ability. She could just sit down and draw. God blessed her,” her mother said.

Strum went on to become a star pitcher and outfielder for the Boone High School softball team, and after graduation, she accepted a softball scholarship to Seminole Community College. She also played on the school’s varsity volleyball team.

Strum was killed in a single-car accident on the Central Florida GreeneWay near the Bee Line Expressway in July 2000. 

Established by Mark and Carol Strum in memory of their daughter, the Ashley Nicole Strum Memorial Endowed Scholarship supports student athletes or art students. 

“We want her name to carry on and benefit other kids,” Carol Strum said.

Success Stories

Ashley Phillips

Ashley has been a dedicated art enthusiast since early childhood, she is pursuing a General Art Education pathway at Seminole State College to fulfill her dream of becoming a successful artist. With a passion for various art forms nurtured through classes at the Lake Mary Studio of Art since fourth grade, she has honed her drawing, painting, sculpture, and other skills. Her commitment to continuous improvement led her to secure an internship at the studio, eventually transitioning into a full-time role as an assistant art teacher, where she guides students from grades K -12 in realizing their artistic potential. She finds fulfillment in her work, seeing it as a realization of her childhood aspirations and a way to inspire others in their creative journeys.

"Thank you so much for this scholarship opportunity you have given me! As a student, I want to make sure I give college my all to ensure that I am successful in my future. The money that this scholarship provides can be beneficial towards affording different textbooks or materials needed for my art classes to guarantee that I am able to do my best. "- Ashley Phillips