A University of Alabama student died “unexpectedly” last month, prompting an effort to create a $50,000 scholarship fund in her honor.

As of Aug. 18, 95 donors have raised $9,220 through GoFundMe in honor of Lauren Alexis Whinery, 20, who majored in marketing with dual minors in sales and global and cultural perspectives.

Whinery, from Cape Coral, Florida, graduated from Prairie High School in Iowa with high academic honors in 2022, according to her obituary.

The GoFundMe page highlights Whinery’s academic achievements at UA, describing her place on the President’s List for the Spring Semester of 2024 as “an honor reserved for students with a perfect GPA of 4.0.” This accomplishment, the page adds, “placed Lauren among the top-performing students at the university, a testament to her hard work and intelligence.”

The Lauren Whinery Scholarship Fund will benefit a deserving student at the University of Alabama annually, as well as support Prairie High School in Iowa.

Whinery was also a member of the Alpha Gamma Delta sorority, Delta Sigma Pi, Professional Women in Communication and Business, Globe UA and Phi Eta Sigma National Honor Society, according to the GoFundMe page.

“Her presence in the chapter was a testament to her genuine care for others and her dedication to fostering a sense of belonging,” the GoFundMe says of her sorority membership.

The family’s obituary indicates the last of three memorial services will be at 10 a.m. Aug. 24 at the Alpha Gamma Delta Sorority house in Tuscaloosa.