Raleigh family names UNC scholarship in honor of their daughter, Wynn Burrus

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (WTVD) -- March 26 is giving day at UNC Chapel Hill and the family of the late Wynn Burrus is fundraising for a new scholarship fund in honor of Wynn who was a UNC student who died in 2019.

The moment a very eager and excited Wynn Burrus got the news she'd be in the next class of Morehead Cain Scholars at UNC was one of the best days of her life.

During the next three years at the school, she made an impression in the classroom and on the people around her.

Melissa Geil had her as a student twice.

"She talked to me in office hours about her family, about the "Bigger than You" program she started with her sister Parker to help special needs students at her schools to feel empowered and about her classes and life at Carolina," Geil said thinking back on her first meetings with Wynn.

She said it was very clear early on that Wynn had a gift for academics but also for people.

"During her time at Carolina Wynn made a practice of staying in touch with me. She would stop by my office and when she was abroad send emails telling me of her adventures and asking after me and my family. When it came time for her to register for classes in the fall of 2019, she enrolled in my Management & Corporate Communication class at Kenan-Flagler," Geil said.

"When my section unexpectedly changed Wynn fought hard to get into my new section and to this day she remains the only student I have ever over-enrolled in that class (we are very strict about it). I am so grateful that I did."

Wynn had that effect on people.

Another professor, Chip Snively said she changed his life.

Wynn was the most intentionally thoughtful and caring person I've ever met in my life, not just students I've taught, but in all my 61 years on this earth," he said.

"It was genuine with her, like part of her DNA. I actually don't know how she kept up that level of effort in positivity and caring and then on top of it was such an accomplished student," Snively added.

She was set to graduate from Kenan Flagler Business School with the promise of a successful career.

"She had just finished up an internship with JP Morgan an investment banking," said her mother Beth.

But the bright, adventurous, full-of-life 21-year-old unexpectedly died in 2019, leaving behind her parents, two siblings, and a community of people.

"It's been hard. We still have lots of blessings in our life. Great friends a great family. There is just a huge hole in our family and there is a huge hole in our community," said her mother Beth.

And a new fear set in for Beth and her father Erik Burrus

"I think when you lose a child one of the hard things is you don't want them to be forgotten you want their name still said," Beth explained.

It was felt through their entire community.

"Her involvement in Kenan-Flagler, Morehead-Cain, and Kappa Delta keenly impacted each organization and her place as a business major meant that we at Kenan-Flagler were left bereft in the wake of her passing," said Geil.

"She was truly a special person I meant it whole-heartedly when I said I had won the professor lottery getting to have her in class and I am truly shamelessly sorry I haven't had the opportunity to see what differences in the world she would have made as an adult. I miss her," said Snively.

The Burrus family wants her legacy to live on through a new scholarship the Wynn Burrus Fellows.

"We felt like that what her focus was going to be was using her faith and her talents to really just make an impact on the world," she said.

The scholarship will take on four students in the Kenan Flagler Business School. Either juniors or seniors. They're hoping to find young people who want to live more like Wynn.

"Our goal is for these scholars to exemplify Wynn's traits of loving, learning, living, adventure, and having a strong passion about their community. Our goal is to help train leaders that can continue to do what Wynn had already started to do," Beth said.

They are only one-quarter of the way to their $1 million goal to support these students but hope the community can help them put Wynn's words into action.

"One invitation, one meal, one gesture may not be a big deal to you, but the love and kindness you show surely can change someone else's life," said Beth as she read aloud one of Wynn's quotes.

More information on the scholarship fund can be found here.