The Graham Harden Scholarship
The Graham Harden Scholarship is awarded annually to two senior lacrosse players at Mariemont High School who are graduating with plans to attend college. The scholarship was established in 2021 to honor Coach Harden’s legacy after his courageous battle with ALS. Coach Harden was a longtime and beloved lacrosse coach at Mariemont High School from 2007-2019.
About Coach Harden
Coach Harden was a Division I All-American lacrosse standout at the University of North Carolina. In 1991, he was a senior co-captain of the UNC men’s lacrosse team which capped its historic 16-0 season with a national championship title. He was named the NCAA National Defenseman of the Year in that same season, winning the coveted Schmeisser Memorial Cup.
Coach Harden joined the staff at Mariemont High School in 2007 and helped coached the boys’ program to four state titles (2007, 2013, 2014, 2017) in 13 seasons and he helped guide the girls’ to their first ever state championship title in 2018 after joining the staff in 2014.
Coach Harden prided himself on teaching young players about more than just the game. His gift was the ability to teach integrity, compassion, sportsmanship, teamwork and life values through sports. Through his personal struggle with ALS and his endless hours volunteering as a local firefighter and first responder, Graham enabled and inspired youth athletes to be more than just good players; he showed them how to be good people.
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Scholarship Details
The Graham Harden Scholarship will be awarded annually to a member of both the boys' and girls' lacrosse teams at Mariemont High School. It is a one-time award of $2,500 per student athlete to support each recipient's first year of college study. The scholarship will be awarded to those student athletes with demonstrated need and who embody the values important to Coach Harden:
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• Leadership
• Compassion
• Humility
• Team-first player
• Sense of humor
• Winning mentality
• Positive Outlook
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Contributions to the Harden Scholarship are welcomed to honor the impact that Coach Harden made on the lives of so many student-athletes and members of the Mariemont community.
Checks can be made payable to the Mariemont School Foundation (note the Harden Scholarship) and mailed to 2 Warrior Way, Cincinnati, OH 45227 Attn: Harden Scholarship. Alternatively, you may utilize the form shown below to donate on-line.
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