Laura Longman Memorial Scholarship

The Laura Longman Memorial Scholarship Ministry of the FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH OF CANOGA PARK awarded two scholarship grants on Easter Sunday, April 17, 2022, in celebration of the life of Laura Lynn Longman, (1958 – 1984) a young lady raised in the First United Methodist Church of Canoga Park who loved being a ‘Valley Girl’, loved her life as a Christian and loved learning. She graduated from Taft High School in 1976 and began working while attending L.A. Pierce College.

In early 1979 she was diagnosed with heart failure and eventually received an experimental heart transplant at Stanford University Medical Center. During her recovery she traveled the United States by car, then enrolled in San Francisco State University to complete her studies in Biochemistry. She loved science and loved to discuss social issues – even when your opinion differed from hers.

Her family and church cared for her and supported her through illness and recovery. While a senior at San Francisco State University, Laura died in class. Because she was grateful that so many people had helped her thrive before, during and after her heart transplant, there seemed to be no adequate way to memorialize her motivated, vital and energetic life except by helping other upperclass, undergraduate students to complete their education.

The Laura Longman Memorial Scholarship was founded as a living memorial and on Easter Sunday, 1985 the first scholarship grants were awarded. After 38 years (April 2022) The Laura Longman Memorial Scholarship Foundation of the First United Methodist Church of Canoga Park has awarded 128 scholarship grants in Laura’s memory to 101 different students. Please refer to the Courier Newsletter for May 2022 to learn more about this year’s recipients, Sara Chao and Benjamin Driggs.

Applications for the Laura Longman Memorial Scholarship are available from the church office during the month of December each year. Scholarship awards are given on the following Easter Sunday. To qualify, a student must be a junior or senior in the fall semester of the year the scholarship is to be awarded and must have a GPA of 2.75 or greater on a 4.0 point system.

Anyone who would like to contribute to this ministry in memory or honor of a loved one is invited to contribute on-line (see the boxLLMS here) or write a check payable to the First United Methodist Church of Canoga Park with the memo line reading “Laura Longman Memorial Scholarship”. Please include a note of dedication to your loved one or honoree.

All contributions go to the benefit of students. This program is administered entirely by volunteers.

The Laura Longman Memorial Scholarship is a memorial ministry of the First United Methodist Church of Canoga Park, 22700 Sherman Way, West Hills, CA 91307, (818) 340-2950.