Student's death still making impact

It has been one year since A&M-Commerce student Malorie Bullock was tragically killed in a motorcycle accident, but her memory and impact on the lives of people around her still exists.

The Malorie Bullock Bracelet Fundraiser has been the most prevalent at A&M-Commerce, with the Xi Upsilon Chapter of the Kappa Sigma Fraternity and the Student Honors Council helping to sell the bracelets, which have the words "Dance Love Sing Live MEB" on them, for two dollars each. Senior Andy Kroll, who is a month away from obtaining a management information systems degree, came up with the idea.

"I just saw a lot of people wearing those kind of bracelets, and thought it would be a good idea to do it," he said. "The money I raised, I could donate it to the scholarship set up for Tom Bean students. They were pretty much all sold out within two and a half months."

Kroll, a close friend of Malorie, said he ordered 1,200 bracelets, and at two dollars each, plus $200 of donated money, the campaign raised $2,600 alone for the scholarship fund.

"Whenever I was doing it, I really had no idea how it was going to go," Kroll said. "I think it's important we keep remembering her, because she was a great individual."

All of the proceeds go toward the Malorie Bullock Scholarship Fund, which will be available for graduating Tom Bean High School students. Malorie's mother, Melissa Bullock, said currently the scholarship fund has reached over $10,000 and she is hopeful with proceeds from t-shirt sales coming in that the amount will go even higher.

"Malorie is still touching so many lives everyday," Melissa said. "We tell our story and so many people are touched and are amazed by her and the love that is still pouring out to us and her."

Another thing Melissa and her husband, Rick, have been working on is Malorie's Law, which would require motorcycle riders and passengers to obtain a permit before carrying someone or riding on the back of the vehicle. Riders would have to be experienced and pass a written and rider's skill test. Melissa said the bill is in the first stages in a state legislature sub-committee.

When Malorie had her high school softball jersey and number retired by Tom Bean ISD last month, Melissa said the scholarship would help a student do something that was very important to Malorie: attend college. She said another important aspect of Malorie's life, her Christian faith, was also continuing to show through after a year.

"I know that her death has helped many people make decisions about their faith and also about how they approach life," Melissa said. "Malorie is so missed by us, and her light will never go out as the smiles that I see in her pictures and the stories that I hear from her friends keep making that beautiful light continue to shine."