Welcome, and thank you for your interest in the Stand for the Silent Scholarship Program! 

In 2010, Stand for the Silent was founded when my wife Laura and I lost our son Ty Smalley. At eleven years old, Ty took his own life after being suspended from school for retaliating against a bully. Laura and I were devastated. We knew the bullying had to stop. We started reaching out to schools to share Ty’s story and educate other students, teachers, and administrators about bullying.

Ty was a young boy who loved the outdoors, enjoyed baseball as well as other sports, and being with his family and friends. He was a rambunctious, high-energy guy who internalized more of his being bullied than we understood. We believe his time with us was far too short and we have worked hard to encourage and spread the anti-bullying message so other families will not have to endure a similar loss. In remembrance of our son, we have established the Ty Smalley Memorial Scholarship in the amount of $5,000.

In November of 2020, tragedy struck our family again. My wife, Laura, was diagnosed with a brain aneurysm and needed surgery. Sadly, she did not survive. We at Stand for the Silent want to recognize Laura for her compassion and love of all children and her willingness to stand up for the silent by establishing the Laura Smalley Memorial Scholarship in the amount of $5,000.

The SFTS Scholarship program awards two (2) Ty Smalley Memorial Scholarships and two (2) Laura Smalley Memorial Scholarships! 

Each scholarship will applaud and honor students who share her ideas and goals to fight bullying and teen suicide.

We wish you the best of luck in your academic pursuits.