Scholarships honor student's memory

DEPEW, N.Y. (WIVB) - Last Saturday, the class of 2009 graduated from Depew High School. Missing among them was a classmate who drowned seven years ago, but Ryan Markel was far from forgotten thanks to family and friends.

The 11 year old drowned in a swim class at school. Last weekend, the Class of 2009, what would have been Ryan's class, graduated from Depew High School.

Principal Carol Townsend said, "Graduation day of all days, he was in everybody's mind because he should have been up there walking across stage as well."

Instead, Ryan's parents Carol and Charlie and his sister Amanda were there, remembering him and his former classmates in a very special way, a scholarship for each one going on to college.

Two for $500, 167 others for $100. It all began just months after Ryan drowned.
 
His mother, Carol Markel said, "I started CPR program and also pool safety to make sure this never happened again in a school."

They also started Ryan's Hope Foundation and began putting any extra money from the CPR classes, fundraisers and donations into the fund. They also put aside what would have been Ryan's money.

"We started putting his allowance in an account, started that from day one, we didn't know what to do, we gave his $10 a week and birthdays all into a bank account."

About six months ago, they told Principal Carol Townsend of their scholarship plan. "I think it was really a special thing to do to touch so many kids in the senior class."

Unaware of the scholarships, the senior class on their own dedicated a page in their year book to Ryan and at graduation presented the Markel's with a celestial star named in Ryan's honor.

The Markel's know Ryan's death has saved at least one other life. Two years ago, his sister Amanda collapsed in cardiac arrest. Because of what happened to Ryan, her parents were ready.