Summer Kempton Memorial Scholarship is based on promoting a positive message to our youth athletes about making smart life choices. Summer, who passed away on February 4, 2007, from a drug overdose, was an active participant in Folsom youth sports growing up. She was born on July 11, 1985 and attended Carl Sundahl Elementary School and Folsom Middle School before moving on to Folsom High School where she graduated in 2003.

During her life in Folsom, Summer participated in a variety of youth sports, including soccer, girls’ softball and basketball. She excelled at all sports, but her first love was soccer. She was a member of the girls’ varsity soccer team at Folsom High in 2001 and 2002 and played on the first select team in the City’s history to win a state championship. Summer also was an excellent student, earning a number of academic honors during her school time and was accepted at the University of California at Davis following her graduation from high school. Unfortunately, she dropped out early in her freshman year.

Adolescence is a challenging time for many young people, but it was especially difficult for Summer. She struggled with an eating disorder and depression, which led to making poor personal decisions in the conduct of her life. Ultimately, she turned to the use of alcohol and drugs to mute the pain caused by her problems, and her once-promising life came to an end in 2007.

While the story is very tragic, family and friends have established a memorial fund in her honor. In addition to providing financial support to allow disadvantaged kids in the City of Folsom to play soccer, the fund has also established a memorial scholarship in her honor. This scholarship is intended to provide an opportunity for recipients to continue their dreams, to make the right personal choices by recognizing what life has to offer, and to focus on taking care of themselves and others.

The Summer Kempton Memorial Scholarship is available to a senior girl varsity soccer player from Folsom High School and Vista del Lago High School with plans to attend college.​

Contact the school’s career counselor for application information and deadline dates.

Congratulations to all Folsom and Vista del Lago scholarship recipients.