Hayden Ernest, who died Aug. 15, 2023, in a car crash on Oneida Valley Road, had a scholarship created in his memory by Zion Baptist Church in Slippery Rock. Submitted photo

A local church is working to honor a 19-year-old congregant who died in a head-on collision on Oneida Valley Road earlier this month by raising money for a cause important to him: Christian education

The Hayden Memorial Scholarship Fund, created by Zion Baptist Church in Slippery Rock, hopes to raise $10,000 for students to receive faith-based schooling, which was an experience that changed the life of Hayden Ernest, of Hilliards.

Ernest died Aug. 15 in a vehicle crash that also killed Jacqueline Rock, 32, of Chicora. According to his older sister, Fantasia Berry, Ernest was directly affected by his education at First Baptist Christian School in Butler.

Hayden Ernest

He expressed an interest in attending the school in ninth grade, she said.

“Hayden wanted to go to that school so badly,” she said. “We’re one of the families who couldn’t afford to (send him).”

A family friend provided the money, allowing Hayden to change schools, on one condition: He maintain a grade average above C.

Berry said her brother excelled at First Baptist, receiving good grades, getting involved in soccer and attending every volleyball game to cheer on the team.

“You saw an attitude change; you saw a respect change at home,” Berry said. “He really enjoyed it; he would come home talking about the teachers, the principal.”

Berry said she was touched that Zion Baptist Church, which her brother attended, wanted to remember him with the scholarship.

“I’m honored. To be honest, it was something I was going to do myself, and then they reached out to me,” she said.

Tom Metz, pastor of Zion Baptist Church, said Ernest had attended for nearly a year and always attributed his education at First Baptist to constructing his character.

“Hayden had a rough go of things during his upbringing. One thing he said repeatedly to me and my daughter was that coming to First Baptist is one of the best things that ever happened to him,” he said.

Metz said the scholarship seeks to give back to students such as Ernest, who didn’t let unfortunate situations stop him.

“We saw him as a wonderful guy, who didn’t let situations define him,” he said.

There are plans to expand the scholarship in the future, with $10,000 as a starting point.

“We want to establish something bigger than ourselves,” Metz said.

Berry said Ernest was an active member at Zion, volunteering to set up chairs and participate in sermon demonstrations.

“He’d be there 15 minutes early asking, ‘Hey pastor, can I get you something? Can I help with VBS (vacation Bible school)?’ … You’d see him at camp and a swarm of kids would be around him,” she said. “The fact that he was able to be a light for so many people … crazy.”

“He was interesting … kids just flocked to him,” Metz said. “There was a cloud of kids around him wherever he walked.”

Ernest’s true ministry, according to Metz, was his investment in people hovering on the outside of groups.

“If there was a fringe person who looked like nobody cared about them, he’d reach out to them,” he said. “At his funeral and memorial, one phrase that kept coming up was ‘bright.’ He was a bright light.”

Ernest’s light was especially evident by the amount of people at his funeral Thursday, Aug. 24, Berry said.

“The amount of people at his funeral … I know what his wedding would have looked like. He packed a whole church,” she said. “As his older sister, it’s both heartbreaking and … wow.”

She estimated 300 people offered condolences Thursday, many telling stories about Ernest’s friendly nature.

“A lot of people were using the term, ‘best friend’ loosely, but he used it loosely. Because once you knew him, you were his best friend,” she said.

Metz recalled him as “literally the most giving person I’ve ever met.” It seemed fitting to start a scholarship to give back.

Part of the memorial scholarship will be distributed in early spring for children looking to attend Christian camps in the area. As funds grow, they will help parents send their children to Christian schools in the area, where tuition can range from $2,000 to $4,500 per year.

“We don’t see this being just a First Baptist thing,” Metz said. “We see this as a way to provide for anyone in a situation.”

Those interested in donating to the Hayden Memorial Scholarship Fund can visit gofund.me/af16700b.