Watch CBS News
/ CBS Pittsburgh
Seniors at Blackhawk High School in Beaver Falls are days away from graduation, but on Friday, they were surprised with early gifts as they prepare for their futures and higher education – in the form of $1,000 scholarships.
Throughout Friday morning’s senior awards assembly, students accepted honor after honor. However, among the class of more than 200 12th graders, one person was missing: Benjamin Banks Jr.
At 10 years old, Ben Jr. died from a brain aneurysm, a complication from polycystic kidney disease. To remember his life, his classmates and teachers shared their favorite memories in a video. Then his parents, Ben Sr. and Marie, and his sister, Grace, took the stage.
“If you remember one thing about my son, remember his kind nature,” Ben Sr. said to the students.
Then, they made an announcement they’ve been holding in for four to five years.
“We have the great honor to award a $1,000 scholarship to every single graduating student in his class,” Grace said.
Each member of the senior class received the gift as a part of the Benjamin Banks Jr. Memorial Foundation, which his family created shortly after his death.
It was a bittersweet moment for Alesa Lincheck, who was in Ben Jr.’s first-grade class and was holding back tears.
“It was just really nice of them to do that for all of us, the whole class,” Lincheck said. “We have a big class too, so honestly, it’s just so generous.”
For Ben’s family, it was a chance to see how many lives their son touched, as a kid obsessed with cars, facing challenges like autism and ADHD.
“It was like the completion of a long goal that we’ve been going toward, and doing it in our son’s name is just the best,” Ben Sr. said.
“Seeing all those kids grown, it’s just hard, but I’m so happy for them and the lives they have in front of them,” Marie said.
© 2025 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.
©2025 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.
