Lipscomb University is honored to establish this scholarship in memory of and to perpetuate the life and influence of Stephanie Erin Bethel. The daughter of Charles E. Bethel and Patricia Shearry Bethel ('72), Steph was born and grew up in Atlanta, Georgia. She was baptized into the Church of Christ by her grandfather, Luke Shearry, a graduate of Nashville Christian Institute.

Steph began her education as a toddler at Southwest Montessori, where her gift for writing soon became evident. She wrote an amazing Thanksgiving story at the age of 7. Upon graduation from Southwest Montessori at age 11, her teacher declared that the written word would be Steph's gift to the world. Her teachers at Horizons School in Atlanta nurtured and encouraged her writing.

By enrolling at Lipscomb University, Steph deepened a family legacy at the university that began with her mother and also includes an aunt, Abbie Shearry Malone ('74); a cousin, Lynn Malone Amoah ('00); and Shearry Malone ('04), also a cousin. Before earning her Bachelor of Arts degree in English in 2001, Steph made many friends at Lipscomb, including her sister for life, Franchel Daniel Shorkey ('01).

Shortly before entering college, Steph was diagnosed with lupus. Determined not to let the disease define or limit her life, Steph completed her degree and began working as a foster care case manager for the Tennessee Department of Childrens Services (DCS). She continued her work with foster children at Residential Services Inc. (RSI) in Nashville and the Department of Human Resources in Atlanta before returning to DCS to work in the intake call center. During this time, she also continued to explore her writing skills and published a book, "Life, Love and Lupus," under the pseudonym Stevie Beth. At each stop, beginning as a toddler and continuing through college and her professional appointments, she met many friends, and her friends became family.

In 2007, Steph became disabled. For the remainder of her life, she suffered greatly from a variety of illnesses and challenges, including lupus, migraines, and undergoing dialysis. Using Facebook as her primary means of communication, she shared her health challenges, inspiring many with her perseverance and courage. She lived with great physical pain and suffering but never lost her sense of humor. In return, her family of friends supported, visited and encouraged her through the loss of her father in 2013 and as her illness progressed. She had begun work on a second book and planned to take the advice of her Facebook friends and write a third book, the latter based on her posts as she chronicled her journey. She passed away on August 20, 2017, but her indomitable spirit lives on in her family and friends, and now in the recipients of this scholarship. It is the family's hope that students who suffer from disabilities will benefit from this scholarship.