Scholarship Will Honor Slain City Woman

Fundraiser for new Karli Short foundation to be held Friday

By Staff Reports
The Tube City Almanac
July 12, 2022
Posted in: Announcements

Karli Short, left, is being remembered by her father, Brandon, and his wife, Mahreen, through a scholarship created to benefit Penn State Greater Allegheny students who have been affected by gun violence. An inaugural fundraiser for the Karli Short Better Tomorrow Foundation will be held this Friday at the Omni William Penn Hotel in Pittsburgh. (Photo courtesy and © Short family, used with permission)

A city woman remembered by her family for her work ethic, her kindness and her ever-present smile will be honored with a new scholarship at Penn State’s McKeesport campus.

The Karli Short Better Tomorrow Foundation, founded by her father, Brandon, will provide financial assistance for Penn State Greater Allegheny undergraduates who have been affected by gun violence.

A fundraiser this Friday will feature former NFL and collegiate football legends including Franco Harris, Lavar Arrington, Anthony Adams and McKeesport native Mike Logan.

Short, 26, was found dead Sept. 13, 2021, at her home in the city’s Christy Park section. Investigators said that she died of a single gunshot wound to the head.

At the time of her death, police said, Short was pregnant with her first child, who would have been born in February of this year. The child’s father, Isaac C. Smith, 26, has been charged by Allegheny County police with Short’s murder.

Short’s murder made national headlines because she was the daughter of Brandon Short, an investment banker and a member of the Penn State University board of trustees.

Brandon Short, a graduate of McKeesport Area High School and Penn State, played football for the Nittany Lions in the 1998 Citrus Bowl before joining the National Football League, where he was a member of the New York Giants team that went to Super Bowl XXXV.

Scholarships provided by the Karli Short foundation will benefit students with financial need whose families have been affected by gun violence.

In addition to offering financial support, the foundation eventually has plans to provide mentoring to students, a spokeswoman said.

“When my family and I searched for ways to honor Karli and support victims of gun violence, we could think of no better way than to help students achieve the American dream by supporting their education and creating a better tomorrow,” Brandon Short said in a prepared statement.

“Karli’s legacy won’t be defined by the wrong that was done to her, but by the kindness and compassion that radiated from her,” Short said. “As we grieve, we are also doing what Karli would have done: striving to lift up those who are struggling.”

Megan Nagel, interim chancellor and chief academic officer of Penn State Greater Allegheny, said that gun violence creates trauma and a “burden” of invisible scars for those who have lost a loved one.

“A scholarship dedicated specifically for students impacted by gun violence acknowledges this burden and sends a clear message that there can truly be a better tomorrow,” Nagel said. “By easing some of the financial burden of a higher education along with the mentorship and connection to the Karli Short Better Tomorrow Foundation, I believe there can truly be a lasting impact.”

The foundation’s inaugural fundraising event will be held this Friday (July 15) at the Omni William Penn Hotel in downtown Pittsburgh. It will feature several former Penn State football players and NFL stars.

“We humbly recognize that through the pain endured by Brandon and his family, his daughter Karli Short’s beautiful spirit will continue to impact others,” said Nagel. “I want to again thank Brandon, the entire Short family and all those who will contribute to this scholarship fund.”

Contributions to the Karli Short Better Tomorrow Scholarship may be made online at raise.psu.edu/KarliShort. Checks can be sent to Penn State Donor and Member Services at 2583 Gateway Drive, Suite 130, Bristol Place One, State College, PA 16801. Donors should write “For Karli Short Scholarship” in the memo line of the check.

Originally published July 12, 2022.

In other news:
"Council OK’s House De…" || "App Promises Better C…"