inside - University of Central Oklahoma

art
By CHRIS BRAWLEY-MORGAN
RYAN WOOD was a devoted friend, aspiring artist, loyal soldier
and soon-to-be college student. However, less than a week after he was
accepted at the University of Central Oklahoma Army Sergeant Wood was
killed in Baghdad. He was 22.
Wood’s family immediately decided to honor him with a University of
Central Oklahoma scholarship: the Sgt. Ryan Wood Freedom Endowed Art
Scholarship. Wood’s mother, Renee Wood-Vincent, said the scholarship—and
the occasional frenzy of fundraising—has provided some solace for her family.
“We are doing something that helps us recapture some of the joy in Ryan.
He was a very joyful young man,” said Wood-Vincent, who holds a UCO
bachelor’s degree in community health.
“If you do have to make a sacrifice like this, at least then someone can
benefit,” she said.
Lori Alspaugh, development director for the College of Fine Arts and Design,
said several families have started similar scholarships at UCO. “This is a
lasting way to honor a loved one. Every year, they are able to celebrate and
see their legacy through the lives of students,” she said.
Wood signed up for the Army when he was just 17, inspired by his family’s
military history and the 9/11 attacks which had occurred the year before.
He took his sketch pad with him, his mother said.
10 Impressions 2010|2011