Spreading Morgan's smile by furthering her passions of dance, education and service.
Mission
The Morgan Judd Foundation honors Morgan’s legacy by expanding opportunities in dance, education, and service. We award direct needs-based scholarships to students who share her passions and values, and partner with organizations that put those ideals into practice. Through this work, we help young people carry what they learn through dance into the classroom and their communities.
History & Vision
When we lost Morgan unexpectedly on December 6, 2011, we grieved not only the person she was, but all of the good we knew she still had to give. At her funeral, Father Jack offered a message that has stayed with us: “Joy and Sorrow can sit at the same table.” Even in our grief, that idea helped us imagine how Morgan’s smile and sense of purpose could continue to reach people.
In 2012, we established the Morgan Judd Memorial Fund to bring our community together around her memory and support causes close to her heart. In 2021, we redoubled our efforts and formed the Morgan Judd Foundation as a 501(c)(3), giving that work a lasting home. We continue to support organizations and individuals, opening doors through dance, education and service .
Our direct scholarship program, launched in 2023, has become a central part of that work. It helps students with financial need pursue undergraduate education while staying connected to the arts and the values Morgan lived. What began with two scholars has grown to 18 scholarship recipients for the 2026–27 academic year.
We miss Morgan dearly, every single day. Our vision is to give more young people the opportunity, encouragement, and support to grow into their talents and carry her spirit forward.
Dance
Dance was everything to Morgan. You could watch her perform for just a moment and recognize her gift.
Her lifelong passion began at the age of 4 at the Metropolitan Academy of Dance in Denver, Colorado. Upon returning to Cincinnati in 2005, she found her home at The Studio for Dance. She enjoyed all forms of dance, including jazz, contemporary, clogging, and tap, but her greatest love was ballet. Morgan truly excelled, performing with the Cincinnati Pops, the Cincinnati Ballet, Ursuline school musicals, cruise ships and King’s Island, and competing in countless regional and national competitions. She continued to pursue her passion as a Dance Minor and Dance Team Member at Wake Forest University.
And though Morgan enjoyed the technical craft, it was dance’s intangible qualities that mattered the most to her. Every Sunday of high school, Morgan volunteered for 8 hours at her local studio teaching the junior students. She truly loved seeing other young women develop the confidence, focus, and friendships that dance had given to her over the years. Today, we support that same opportunity in two ways: by partnering with organizations that bring dance to young people, and by awarding direct scholarships to students whose commitment to the arts is part of who they are.
Education
Education was central to Morgan’s life. She took her studies seriously, without ever making a show of her accomplishments. She was a consistent Honor Roll student at St. Mary’s School Hyde Park and Ursuline Academy, and was thriving in her first semester at Wake Forest University.
But more than scholastic achievement, Morgan viewed her schooling as an education of the mind and the heart. She was the recipient of the St. Mary Citizenship Award her 8th grade year, a peer-voted designation for the student that most embodies the principles of dependability, cooperation, and leadership. Morgan was as dedicated to her studies as she was to being a thoughtful student, kind classmate, and loyal friend.
Morgan’s education fostered her academic and personal growth. We honor that legacy through direct undergraduate scholarships for students who share her commitment to the arts, show financial need, and strive to make a difference in the lives of others. The award helps them pursue an education of the mind and heart, with room to grow as students, artists, and people.
Service
Morgan was always serving others. In addition to her teaching commitments on Sundays, she was involved in several of Ursuline’s community service organizations, and was a regular participant in any school-wide attempt to help those in need via food and donation drives.
Yet beyond structured channels, Morgan’s entire disposition was service-oriented. Morgan was selfless in the truest sense of the word. Morgan never had pretense or ulterior motives – she genuinely wanted to help, and often did so when no one was watching. When her brother Connor was hospitalized for several weeks in 2009 with complications from Crohn’s Disease, Morgan spent virtually every moment at his bedside. Her silent presence and light attitude helped Connor as he dealt with a life-changing disease.
What mattered most to Morgan was impact, and she used her talents and time to make a difference the best way she knew how. We look for that spirit in our scholarship recipients and support organizations that put it into practice. Through the Foundation, Morgan’s example continues to encourage young people to use their own talents in service of others.