Before there was the Ethan Wence Perry Foundation, there was Ethan.

 
To those closest to him, he was simply E.
 
Ethan came into this world weighing just 2 pounds, 12 ounces. From the very beginning, there was something about him that said he was going to make his presence known. He was a fighter from the start, and that strength and determination would remain a part of who he was throughout his life.

 

But Ethan’s story is about so much more than resilience.

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It is about the kind of person he became.

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Ethan had a remarkable ability to connect with people. He could walk into a room and find common ground with almost anyone. Age, background, circumstance, or status didn’t matter much to him. He saw the person first.
 

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Ethan never met a stranger.

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He was authentic. He was compassionate. He was funny. He cared about people, and people knew it. The relationships he built and the lives he touched became even more evident through the stories shared about him—the thank-yous, the memories, the friendships, the check-ins, and the acts of kindness that continue in his name.

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Ethan also understood something that would eventually become central to the mission of this foundation:

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There is more than one path to a meaningful and successful life.

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After taking College Credit Plus courses while in high school, Ethan realized that the traditional four-year college path was not the path he wanted for himself. He was drawn to working with his hands and chose to pursue the automotive field.

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And there was dignity in that choice.

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Ethan understood that success isn’t defined by one degree, one career, one income, or one version of someone else’s dream. He believed people should have the confidence and opportunity to discover what they are good at, pursue what they love, and build a life that is authentically their own.

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That belief lives at the heart of the Ethan Wence Perry Foundation today.

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Forever 24

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In 2025, at just 24 years old, Ethan’s life was tragically taken because of an impaired driver.

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For those who loved him, there will always be a before and an after.

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But this foundation was not created so that Ethan would be remembered for the way his life ended.

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It was created so that the world could know something about the way he lived.

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His compassion.

His resilience.

His ability to connect with people.

His belief that everyone mattered.

His willingness to follow his own path.

And the way he made people feel seen, welcomed, and valued.

Those are the pieces of Ethan that deserve to keep moving through the world.

 

His Story Continues

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The Ethan Wence Perry Foundation exists to turn Ethan’s values into opportunities for others.

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Through support for career and technical education, skilled trades, community college pathways, and creative content careers, we want people—especially those who may not see themselves reflected in the traditional definition of success—to know that their gifts have value, their path has value, and their dreams deserve an opportunity to flourish.

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Every scholarship awarded, every barrier removed, every person encouraged, and every opportunity created allows something Ethan believed in to continue.

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That is how his story keeps being written.
 

Ethan will forever be 24.

But the impact of his 24 years does not have to end at 24.

His life can continue to inspire compassion.

His choices can encourage someone else to confidently choose their own path.

His ability to bring people together can help create community.

And his story can open doors for people he never had the chance to meet.

That is Ethan’s legacy.

That is our promise.

And that is the reason for the Ethan Wence Perry Foundation.

Not for how he died, but for how he chose to live.