The Derrick Lawson Memorial Scholarship Fund

In early November 2022, we lost Derrick Lawson. To those lucky enough to know him, Derrick was an amazing and creative cook, a mountain man, a ruthless board and video gamer, a trivia extraordinaire, a karaoke performer, and the most wonderful friend you could ever find. Derrick was well known for his big personality and even bigger hugs.

In Derrick's honor and memory, Derrick's loved ones and his Alma Mater, The Grove School of Engineering at The City College of New York, would like to establish the Derrick Lawson Memorial Endowed Scholarship to help students in financial distress.

To make this happen, we need YOUR help to raise enough funds to ensure that this scholarship can be used to annually support a student at the Grove School of Engineering at The City College of New York, from which Derrick graduated with his Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering in 2021.

Graduating with his Chemical Engineering degree was one of Derrick’s proudest accomplishments. He cherished the friendships, knowledge, mentorship, and memories he made along the way, and wished other students could have the same opportunity. Derrick's professors and classmates remember his brilliance, ability to make them laugh - even through exams, and passion for generating new ideas for supporting students financially. As a student, Derrick even succeeded in hosting a video game convention at CCNY to create an endowment for the Chemical Engineering Department which enabled them to support students and faculty alike. Much like Derrick, a strong advocate for LGBTQ rights, economic and educational equity, and racial inclusion and celebration, this scholarship will be too.

With your help, we can celebrate Derrick, and make sure students like him have the opportunity to pursue their dreams. With your help, every year, Derrick's efforts will change the life of a Chemical Engineering student.