ROBSTOWN, Texas —
Back in June, 19-year-old Christopher Ruiz lost his life after drowning in Lake Corpus Christi.
It wasn’t long after he passed that Christopher’s family realized how much of an impact he made on those he knew.
When it came to planning his funeral, the family actually had to move his service to a larger venue to accommodate the hundreds of people that would plan to come to his service.
Now, his family is doing what they can to help keep his memory alive.
Christopher's mother, Michelle Ruiz-Hernandez remembers her son by looking back on his most joyful moments.
"We liked to scare each other. We would just joke around. It was just constant scaring. It was just a lot of laughing that we did here at home," she said.
Christopher spent all his years of grade school at Robstown ISD, but it was when he started school at Robstown Early College High School that his mother says he began to find his stride.
“School came hard to him, but he loved the people. He loved making friends. He loved being around people and helping them," she said.
CTE director and assistant principal, Benito Portillo remembers Christopher as light for his welding classmates.
"He always had a smile on his face. He was always very positive and always willing to help," Portillo said.
Before graduating from high school, Christopher graduated with his level one certificate in industrial welding from Del Mar College.
"I was going through his room, going through the car and all you saw was welding stuff," Ruiz–Hernandez said. “You saw the welding gloves, the welding hoods, his clothes."
Christopher's mother says his love for the craft made it easy for her to decide what to do to carry on her son's legacy after he passed away.
Since his passing, Christopher's family has founded the Christopher Ruiz Memorial Scholarship for young welders looking to further their education.
This week at Robstown ISD's school board meeting, Christopher's family donated 50 pairs of welding gloves.
"One thing about Chris is that he went through welding gloves quite often. You know, it comes with the trade,” Portillo said.
The family was also able to donate a $500 scholarship for a graduating seniors pursuing a welding degree.
"Whether it be through monetary funds or equipment like the gloves, it really assists in us providing those students the career specific equipment needed in order for them to be successful in their trades,” Portillo said.
In addition to the welding glove donation and the $500, Christopher's family was also able to donate $500 to the RECHS volleyball team, where Christopher was once a manager, and an additional $500 to the cross-country team.
If you would like to make a donation to Christopher's memorial scholarship, click here.