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A mother’s love is one of the strongest bonds sealed at birth, but a family’s love can carry on through deep hurt and loss. For the Cash Family, parents John and Robin Cash, along with their two daughters Rachel and Leah Cash, the loss of John Evan still causes days of grief and pain. However, through their resilience, the Cash family started an endowment five years ago in memory of John Evan for undergraduates in the Department of Psychology. 

John Evan passed away unexpectedly in the spring of 2019, just prior to his graduation from ���ϲ�����. 

He would be 32 this year if he were alive today. “He's gone from here, but it doesn't mean he's gone from our hearts,” said Robin Cash. “That's the reason we wanted to start the scholarship in honor of him.” 

The Cash Family knew how important the well-being of youth was to John Evan. “We felt it is very important, still especially in today's climate, to help and mentor young people that feel marginalized but who need encouragement,” said Robin Cash. 

To help raise money for the scholarship, the Cash Family holds an annual 5K walk, #AWalkForME, in their hometown of Milford Charter Township, Michigan, in the fall

“In October we combine his favorite things which make all of us feel happy too,” said Robin Cash. “It was his favorite time of year not just because of the autumn and the colors, but because we would be coming into the holiday season – Thanksgiving and Christmas, which he loved.” The 5K walk signifies even more of the things he loved, including music. The Cash Family has a live singer perform at the end of their walk at Kensington Metro Park. 

With the support of the John Evan Cash Endowment Scholarship, to date, five Psychology students have been able to pursue and finish their degrees at ���ϲ�����. 

 

The recipients are as follows: 

Eneyda Nunez-Valencia, 2020 – 2021 recipient 

Blake Smith, 2021 – 2022 recipient 

Abri Yannah Graham, 2022 – 2023 recipient 

Christina Bishop, 2023 – 2024 recipient 

Daniela Chaname, 2024 – 2025 recipient

“Our family is just happy that there's been a diverse group of young psychology majors to receive the scholarship,” said Robin Cash. “We believe that John Evan’s heart was so open that he didn't meet any strangers.”

The Cash Family is still strongly committed to raising money for this scholarship. “We wanted to honor and commemorate John Evan, and I know there are many of the faculty members at ���ϲ����� that knew him personally, and Suzanne Morrow was one of them,” said Robin Cash. 

Suzanne Morrow, master lecturer and chief departmental advisor in ���ϲ�����’s Department of Psychology, knew John Evan fairly well. Morrow expressed: “Through advising John Evan, I knew his goal was to become a life coach so that he could help others achieve their dreams.  Though he isn't here with us, he's still helping others. John Evan's legacy lives on in the students who receive this scholarship.”

This family’s efforts have broadened as they are using their experience to help raise awareness about mental health. “Black males are told to man up, they're told to shake it off, or other things that people say that are not so nice,” said Robin Cash. “Our family wants kids and adults to understand that mental health and mental wellness is a part of your whole wellness.” Robin Cash brings into view how one handles physical challenges. “If you tore your ACL, you wouldn't man up and play through it, you would get the repair work done,” said Robin Cash. “Being whole, emotionally and mentally, is critical, and sometimes things happen that fracture you, and you need to do the work to heal yourself, and there's nothing embarrassing about it.” 

Remembering John Evan’s memory and how he wanted to make a difference is at the center of the Cash Family’s legacy. “He was just the most joyous and happy goofball, so we wanted to have something to honor him, and we do.” 

The  goal is to fund mental health support, advocacy, and education for young people.