The Zachary Pepper Memorial Scholarship is annually awarded to graduating high school seniors and graduates of Olentangy Orange High School.

REQUIREMENTS:

• Recipient must be a graduating high school senior or graduate from Olentangy Orange High School.
• Recipient must have plans to enroll or be currently enrolled in an accredited undergraduate program leading to a four-year degree.
• Recipient will have attained a grade point average of at least 2.5 or its equivalent.
• Preference will be given to applicants affected by cardiac conditions or with immediate family members affected by cardiac conditions.

Zachary Michael Pepper (“Zach”) was a truly kind person with a soul filled with love, empathy, humility, humor, adventure and so very much more. Zach excelled at most things he put his mind to, especially the things he loved most. He had a passion for music; playing the guitar, singing, listening and composing music with friends. In his youth Zach was athletic and that showed through in his years of playing football, lacrosse, wrestling, and in childhood, baseball; eventually, turning to more adventurous sports like skateboarding, snowboarding, and kayaking. 

Zach was gifted with a brilliant mind, this took him into college, but it also took him into researching every facet of this great big world. He loved to share all that he learned with anyone willing to listen. He showed interest in everyone he met, he greeted them like they were a close friend. His compassion for others was always evident and he was a champion of the underdog. All of this became even more evident as his family heard from so many individuals about how much he helped them out, taking time from things he had to do, even when it caused him anxiety and sleeplessness to do so.