A life remembered

Scholarship becomes the legacy of daughter and mother

April Kirkland was 16 years old when she died from injuries sustained in a car accident in May 1997.

“April was a go-getter,” her mother, Gail Adams, says. “She loved school. Of anything else in the world, she loved school, and she was so excited to be able to go to college.”

A student at Cottonwood High School, April dreamed of being an attorney and had no problem making an argument when she believed something was right. She loved participating in pageants, especially writing essays and answering interview questions. She was full of energy, strong-willed and determined.

“She had a big life ahead of her that was just taken too soon,” Adams says.

The single-car accident occurred not far from the family’s home, and April remained unconscious in the hospital for seven days before she succumbed to her injuries.

Adams wanted her daughter to be remembered, so she and her husband created the April Kirkland Memorial Scholarship to be awarded to a Cottonwood High School senior. The scholarship, which started at $500, now averages around $5,000 each year.

Her efforts to help students fulfill their higher education goals led Adams to be recognized recently as one of the Silent Heroes of the Wiregrass recipients.

Silent Heroes of the Wiregrass is a partnership between Wiregrass Electric Cooperative and WTVY. Recipients receive a $1,000 check in honor of their efforts to make the Wiregrass a better place.

Stevie Sauls, WEC Vice President of Member Services and Business and Community Development, says it’s an honor to give a Silent Hero recognition to Adams.

“She is certainly more than deserving for her dedication in creating and sustaining the April Kirkland Memorial Scholarship,” Sauls says. “She took a tragedy and made something that offers a brighter future for other kids.”

Rayna Smith was the 2026 scholarship recipient and is the first in her family to attend college. The dual-enrollment student studied phlebotomy starting in her junior year and plans to use those work skills while attending nursing classes at Wallace Community College in Dothan. She hopes to be a pediatric nurse one day.

“I’m grateful for her and the scholarship,” Smith says of Adams. “It’s been a blessing to receive it, and I hope that one day I’m able to donate so another person can receive this scholarship as well.”

Adams says God gave her the strength to start the scholarship despite the loss she experienced. Donors have helped keep it going these past 28 years, she says.

“It’s the most rewarding thing I’ve ever been a part of in my life,” Adams says. “It’s just awesome to get to help these kids get started in college and further their dreams and their education.”