Darlene Mixson was born in Atlantic City, NJ. As a young adult, she ventured to Houston, TX with her brother. While in Houston, she met her future husband, Donell Criswell. After they were married, Darlene and Donell had two children, Amber and Justin. Donell worked and Darlene remained at home and took care of the children and the household. Once the children were older, Darlene returned to work and began taking courses at the local community college. However, soon after this endeavor, Darlene fell ill. Her sickness was life threatening and she passed away in 2008.
The Stepping Stone Foundation scholarship was created by Amber (Criswell) Williams in 2015 to support high school graduates who made the decision to attend a community/junior college after graduation. This scholarship honors Darlene Criswell's memory by recognizing the value of furthering one's education at the community college level. The goal of the Stepping Stone Foundation is to increase the number of scholarships each year to keep the memory of Darlene Criswell alive and to support young people in their future endeavors. |
Stepping Stone Foundation |
in memoriam |