The Fighting Illini soccer program, in conjunction with head coach Janet Rayfield and John Ramirez, announces the creation of the Laura Redmond Ramirez Memorial Scholarship Fund. Created in honor of former Illini Laura Redmond Ramirez, who battled leukemia for several years, the fund is dedicated to providing assistance with scholarship, educational, and student-athlete welfare costs for members of the University of Illinois soccer team.

"Over the past few years, Laura and I, friends, and family spent a considerable amount of time discussing how we could ensure her imprint on this world would continue once when her time with us was over," Redmond Ramirez' husband, John Ramirez, explained. "Because of the tremendous impact that the University of Illinois and the Illinois soccer program had on our lives, a natural starting point was there. It is our hope that future Fighting Illini can have experiences that mirrored ours, and by doing so, they could be given a chance to follow in Laura's footsteps of being an inspiration to so many.  It is from this starting point that we arrived at the idea of creating an endowed scholarship to support future women's soccer players."

Each year, the Illini soccer program will designate a current soccer student-athlete as the Laura Redmond Ramirez Memorial Scholarship Fund recipient. The selected student-athlete will be one who best represents the legacy left by Laura Redmond Ramirez, one of courage, discipline and dedication, combined with an incredible sense of caring for those around her.

An Illini letterwinner from 2002-05, Redmond Ramirez played in 79 games for the Orange and Blue, recording five career goals and four assists. Redmond scored three game-winning goals during her Illini career, one of those coming in the 2005 NCAA Tournament. Redmond netted the game-winner in overtime against the Florida Gators, which sent Illinois into the second round. Redmond Ramirez was diagnosed with Leukemia in 2007, just two years after graduating from Illinois, and battled the disease until March of 2017. 

"Her humor and positive spirit was a big part of what brought our team together and made it a family," alumna Christen Karniski said of her time on the team with Redmond Ramirez. "But it wasn't just her off-field antics that kept us entertained. It was also her style of play, which I think really reflects Illinois Soccer: great passer, clever and technical on the ball, Laura made our team fun to watch. And that's an important part of the program that has continued to this day."

"During college, I know Laura loved every second being part of such a supportive, yet demanding team," Ramirez said of his wife. "The values that form the foundation of the program helped to shape Laura into the amazing human being she was; in particular, the rigor of the experience helped Laura to become quite simply the most resilient person I, and many others, have ever had the honor of knowing."

In addition to the scholarship fund, the soccer program announced the creation of the Laura Redmond Ramirez Legacy and Inspiration Award on Oct. 6, 2016, which will be given annually to an Illini player who exhibits the traits that Redmond developed and demonstrated during her time at Illinois, courage, resiliency and fortitude, and the traits that she continued to exhibit during her battle with Leukemia. The first award was presented to alumna, Jenna Carosio, at the 2016 postseason banquet. Award winners are nominated and voted on by current and former Illini, with representatives spanning from 1997 to the present. 

"Laura's legacy is that of love and compassion, for her friends, family and teammates," alumna Emily Ward wrote about Redmond Ramirez. "A legacy of compassion is integral to team unity, as everyone on a team must understand everyone else's struggles, successes and perspectives and be respectful of these differences to unite as a single entity. Courage and enthusiasm. Laura embodied courage in many ways, as a player, a person and survivor. These qualities are a hallmark of successful athletes. Laura's legacy is the essence of what I remember our team standing for. It is clear that her essence is at the core of all of us – her teammates, friends, coaches and family."

Since its development in April 2017, the Laura Redmond Ramirez Memorial Scholarship Fund has grown to over $44,000. Illinois fans and supporters are welcome to contribute to the scholarship fund, and can do so by contacting the I Fund office at (217) 333-6595.

"This generous action by Laura, John and her family and friends is just another indication of the selfless, gracious, impactful person that Laura Redmond Ramirez was to this program and to everyone that was a part of her life's journey," Illinois soccer head coach Janet Rayfield said of the Memorial Scholarship. "We are extremely fortunate that the Illini family was and will always be a part of that journey.  Her laughter and smile along with her incredible work ethic, grit and resiliency is ingrained in my memory forever and I am thankful to be able to share those memories through the stories that will continue to be told through the scholarship and the legacy award.  Laura Redmond Ramirez left a mark on this program and on me personally, and I thank every donor for allowing us to share that legacy forever."  

"For our family, it was an honor to impart this gift on the program and through it, continue Laura's legacy for years to come at the University of Illinois," Ramirez said. "Laura was an incredibly bright source of inspiration for so many, and our hope is this scholarship fund can help to provide an opportunity for young women to follow in her footsteps."