By Loralyn Cecil
CHS Philanthropy Director

The life of Emma Rose Davis Bridges was tragically cut short on Feb. 8, 2023, when — at 29 years old — she died from a pulmonary embolism. Just a month earlier, she and her husband, Jared, (they met when both were students at UK) brought home their baby girl, Naomi.

“I’ve been reflecting on Emma’s life a lot lately and when I think about all she did in those days, I am in complete awe,” said Emma’s mother, Margaret Dimmit. “In those 10,931 days (that she lived), she graduated high school, earned a bachelor's degree and a master’s degree, traveled to Europe, sang in St. Stephen’s Cathedral in Vienna, went on multiple mission trips, worked at church camps, won awards, served as an amazing big sister to eight siblings, became a speech therapist, helped countless children, hiked, explored, became a wife, became a mother.”

“She lived so much in those 10,931 days and had much more living to do, but for whatever reason, her time was cut short. Too short,” she continued. “Since she died, I’ve yearned for a way to truly honor my beloved daughter.”

So, they have. Emma’s family created a scholarship to honor her love of helping others, as well as her fondness of speech pathology and all things UK.

“I wanted to find a way to honor her mission in life and that was to always help others,” Margaret said. “Emma’s friends, sisters, Jared, and I – along with others at the University – worked together to create the Emma Rose Davis Bridges Memorial Scholarship. I can’t begin to tell you the comfort this has brought to me.”

UK Love

In one of Margaret’s favorite photos, Emma is a toddler, wearing a UK cheerleader uniform.

“I can still see Emma standing on the fireplace, which was her stage,” she said. “She loved UK and she loved to sing My Old Kentucky Home.”

When Emma was in high school and about to graduate among the top in her class, Margaret knew Emma was about to go and make a difference in the world. In 2011, Emma came to Lexington and enrolled in the UK College of Health Sciences in the Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSD) Department.

When Emma was older, the shared love for UK was a way to bond with her siblings. As a college student, she took her little brother Mason to a football game, showed her siblings around campus, and invited them to various events.

“She shared her love of UK with people,” Margaret said. “It was part of her identity. She was so proud.”

Emma and Jared in CHS

In 2015 Emma enrolled in the CSD Master’s program in Speech Language Pathology in the UK College of Health Sciences. Soon, Jared — who she had been dating since her freshman year — was accepted into the Physical Therapy program in the same College.

Jared described how Emma was a great influence on everyone — from her youngest students to her church community, to her classmates and colleagues, and even himself.

“No matter what Emma did, she gave it 100 percent,” he said. “As someone studying to be a health care professional, seeing her at work helped me to keep motivated. She excelled at everything because she put in the work. Her example helped me immensely in PT school.”

Anne Olson, chair of the CSD department, said, “Emma was responsible, kind, gracious, quiet and focused in her goal to become a speech-language pathologist (SLP). Upon graduation, Emma was unanimously elected by faculty to receive the Scarlett Parsley Hooker Award.”

The characteristics required for the award? Being responsible, kind and gracious.

At work

After graduating, Emma began her professional career in 2019, with her first job at Scott County Preschool.  Bethany Ingmand worked with Emma. “Emma was one of my dear friends,” she said. “She started as an SLP at Scott County Preschool the same year I did. Even when she was a new SLP, she was so knowledgeable that, to our team of SLPs, she was a seasoned professional.

“She made us and our SLP/therapy/special education team better just by being herself and showing her love and drive for the field,” Bethany continued. “We all learned from her. She shaped me as an SLP, person, mother, and a friend.”

Bethany said Emma could be a driving force, even when the two worked on a project.

“She was the creative mastermind. I just held the stapler and followed her lead,” she said. “In our field I feel you have to be a team player, collaborator, innovator, advocate, and able to talk to parents on very stressful topics. She did all of these things with ease and poise.”

Emma’s scholarship

Jared is working with family and friends to create the scholarship at the UK College of Health Sciences, which will help students who are in their second year in the College’s Communication Sciences and Disorders Department and pursuing Speech Language Pathology as their concentration.

“We want the next generation of speech therapists to know of Emma,” he said. “We want them to know who she was and how she was.”

Bethany shares Jared’s motivations for creating the scholarship. “We need more good people in our field who are passionate about helping kids,” she said.

Margaret is working closely with family, friends and the many people who love Emma to create the scholarship. “It’s given me a purpose in honoring Emma and the legacy she leaves behind,” she said. “I want to help others do the work that Emma did. I want to help others, help others.”   

“Losing someone you love changes your life,” Bethany said. “I grieved her and still grieve for her. I will always be sad she is not here with me but Emma needs to be celebrated. It is my goal to always celebrate her. There will never be another like Emma, but I am so happy her legacy will help a future SLP touch young lives the way she did.”

Want to make a gift to The Emma Rose Davis Bridges Memorial Scholarship? Click here.