The first Cory O'Brien Memorial Scholarship was awarded in the Spring of 2005 to Blake Ambler. Blake hails from Bothell, WA and graduated from WSU in '06 with a degree in Construction Management. He carried a 3.1 GPA and was a member of the Associated Students of Construction Management.

Blake was also a member of Alpha Kappa Lambda fraternity (AKL's), where he served as secretary and scholarship chair. Blake was in the same pledge class as Cory and roomed with him for several years. Blake and Cory were good friends with shared interests in baseball, golf and snowboarding. Blake was chosen by his peers at AKL's to receive the first Cory Scholarship.

Blake had the following to offer on the benefits he has received from the scholarship:

"The award of The Cory O'Brien Memorial Scholarship has effected my life in several different ways. The impacts of this scholarship are both personal and financial. The personal impacts of the scholarship will be with me for the rest of my life. With the privilege of being the first recipient of the scholarship I feel it was and is my responsibility to keep the values that Cory lived by alive. Cory had very high standards for himself, but also did not forget how to have fun. Over the past year I have tried to exemplify these standards that Cory displayed, and will carry these forward into my future.

With the help of the Cory O'Brien Memorial Scholarship I have been able to achieve great things. This spring I will be graduating from Washington State University with a Bachelor of Science in Construction Management. I will then be assuming the position of Project Engineer for Wilder Construction, a heavy civil contractor out of Everett, WA.

The effects of this scholarship go beyond me and school, but also to my family. This scholarship has minimized the financial burden on my family. This year is the first year that my brother and I are both in college; so the scholarship has helped out greatly.

The Cory O'Brien Scholarship is a blessing that will last a lifetime."

- 2006 Ashley Uno - A Communications major at WSU.
- 2007 Kimberly Edwards - A Communications major at WSU.
- 2008 Anne Marolich - Attending WSU and thinking about education as a major.