Jared Paepke Memorial “Kindness” Award

I really don’t know how to start “Jared’s Story” so I will begin by saying that I am Susie Paepke......Jared’s Mom.

My son Jared was a wonderfully kind person. If you knew him or crossed life paths with him, you would have experienced his kindness personally.  This is one of the many reasons why it is so very difficult to know why Jared was taken within an instant with no cause. He and I were texting the night of 3/27/2020 and just moments after we had said our I love you’s, his beautiful sole was gone from this world with still no cause known.

Jared loved so big and was so very kind.   He loved both living up in Bellingham and going to Western. He loved to support his friends in their endeavors in sports and other accomplishments. He worked part time at Western while attending classes. He graduated from Kentwood High School where his light shown so brightly to many.

I wanted to do something to honor Jared's kind nature and his beautiful, but much too short life here.  After many thoughts, I came up with the idea of a Kindness Award because kindness was one of Jared's greatest gifts.

The Jared Paepke Memorial Kindness Award is being created to honor Jared’s pure kindness towards others. I have been in contact with two amazing people (counselors) from Kentwood High School who are helping getting this award to become a reality.  The money that is raised here will start a Foundation in Jared’s name.  I will continue to have fundraisers for the rest of my life for the sole purpose of his Foundation and continuing Jared’s kindness and empathy for others.

Counselors, teachers, staff and students (a Board of Volunteers) may nominate a senior student who has showed kindness to others throughout their years at Kentwood. Kindness that goes above and beyond.  Kindness without expecting reward or acknowledgment.  Kindness and thoughtfulness without hesitation that comes from within like it did with Jared.

The recipient will receive $2,000 to help pay for their college expenses. The recipient will also receive $500 to use at the recipient's discretion to help other fellow college students that are in need of some small help to be used for groceries, rent, books, supplies, or anything necessary for college that the student is struggling to pay for.  In small amounts at a time. This way the recipient will also be paying it forward with kindness and people that didn’t even know Jared will hopefully be touched by his kindness that has already affected so many lives.

I have heard from many of Jared's friends, fellow students and teachers that Jared was always so kind and it showed in how he interacted with his peers and teachers. During a couple of fellow students' darkest time, Jared was there, supportive and caring, and sharing his light that shined so bright just by listening or giving a hug or a smile.  I always knew Jared had such a gentle heart but to hear it from so many people that have reached out to me...it brings me comfort knowing he has changed and touched peoples' lives with his kindness.  It also hurts so very much knowing that Jared would have kept giving and sharing kindness his whole life and now those gifts and his beautiful life ended far too soon.

As Jared’s Mom...I am sure you can imagine that I never want him to be forgotten.  I want his kindness towards others to be remembered and cherished. I want there to be something “from Jared” to be given to someone else as kind as he with the same type of caring heart. I know that there are many other people out there like Jared, sharing their kindness and making the world a better place.

I am truly hoping from the bottom of my broken heart that by doing this every year, Jared will continue to make a difference in people's lives and that his kindness will be a gift that will be “Jared’s Legacy of Kindness”. 

Jared was a light not only in my life and to the people who loved him, but to strangers as well. It is my hope to keep his light going for many years to come.


Sincerely and with Gratitude,

Susie Paepke
(Jared’s Mom)

I want this to be a fund that people can donate to in lieu of flowers or in Jared’s Memory. A fund that is solely for the purpose of keeping this award alive and going for many years to come.