Family honors slain daughter with scholarship

By Julie Weckerlein
Jennifer Harber Memorial Scholarship Fund

FORT THOMAS, Ky. -- It's been nearly 15 years since 17-year-old Jennifer Harber was killed, but to her friends and family, her memory is still very much alive.

"My sister was so full of life," said Emily Harber Rucker of Fort Thomas, Jennifer's older sister. "She was the type of girl that if you met her, you didn't forget her. She was the type of kid who would do anything for a laugh, but never at the expense of another person. She accepted everyone and put everything out there for her friends and family."

It was that unforgettable and giving personality that drove Bev and Ed Harber to start the Jennifer Harber Memorial Scholarship Fun in honor of their daughter, who was a junior at Highlands High School at the time of her death. They wanted the scholarship to go to students similar to Jennifer, who played soccer and sang in her school's chorus.

"Jennifer had big dreams and she knew what she wanted to do," said Emily. "Even though she didn't have the best grades in her class, she was very bright. She wanted to become an emergency medical technician and volunteer. Ultimately, she wanted to go into medicine, and she had it all figured out, what classes she would need in college and what steps she had to take to get there."



Tragically, those dreams ended in October 1998 when Jennifer was gunned down by a convicted drug dealer wanting to steal her car. The loss left her family, friends and community reeling, but almost immediately, efforts were made to shed some light during that dark time. By spring of 1999, her family was able to present two graduating students from Highlands High School with college scholarships. Since then, they've helped 30 students achieve their academic dreams.

"I think this scholarship means so much to my parents because it allows them to help others in a way they couldn't for Jennifer," said Emily. "Losing Jennifer was devastating and we will never stop feeling the pain of her passing, but it helps us heal to know that she's still able to help others through this scholarship."

One of those students helped was Ashley Monfort Bruce, a 2001 Highlands High School graduate who knew Jennifer and her family. She said she appreciated the fact the scholarship was based on more than just grades.

"Even though I had good grades, they were not perfect," she said. "Yet I was able to go to school for the first year without getting a job. In that time, I helped at a riding facility for the disabled community and join an equestrian team and meet Dr. Charles Anderson, my mentor, which led me on the career path from becoming a vet to become a teacher. I've done six research studies dealing with glucose and insulin. This research will be continued to hopefully open the door for [better treatment or a cure for] diabetes and metabolic disoders for both horses and humans. None of this could have been done without that scholarship support from the Harbers."

For Haley Orrender, a 2006 Highlands High School graduate and recent University of Kentucky graduate, the scholarship couldn't have come at a better time.

"When I recieved this scholarship, my father had recently lost his job, and money was tight," she said. "The Jennifer Harber scholarship was an answer to my prayers. Now, four years later, I am a college graduate with a bachelor of arts in elementary education. Without this scholarship, I may not have been able to achieve this dream. It was a blessing to me and my family."