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Photos courtesy of Simon Family.
From left, Jonathan, Ann Everett, Holli and Sarah Simon. The Simon family enjoy beach time together before Holli’s passing.
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Photos courtesy of Simon Family.
Sarah Simon is a rising senior at the University of Mississippi.
Sarah Simon, a rising senior at the University of Mississippi and Mountain Brook native, was inducted this spring into Phi Beta Kappa, the nation’s oldest and most prestigious academic honor society in the liberal arts. The recognition marks a major milestone in her academic journey — one made even more extraordinary by the personal challenges she has faced.
Simon, a biological sciences major and member of the Class of 2026, was selected for induction as a junior — an honor reserved for the top echelon of students. Fewer than 10% of each graduating class earns the distinction, and most are chosen during their senior year. Her early induction underscores a level of academic performance that stands out even at a top-tier university.
But behind the GPA and accolades is a story of deep personal resilience. In September 2023, just one day before her 20th birthday, Sarah lost her mother, Holli Hoelscher Simon, to complications from breast cancer. Holli was a familiar figure in the Mountain Brook community — a respected accounting executive, a devoted wife and mother, and a steady source of support for others facing similar diagnoses.
“She was very giving and had many friends,” said Jonathan Simon, Sarah’s father and Holli’s husband. “And even to the very end, even though she was sick, she was still helping people. She had it for five years. She was first diagnosed in 2018, and around the community when anybody got it during that time period, everybody was like, ‘Call Holli.’ It doesn’t come with a travel brochure, you know? So she would take them under their wing, coach them mentally a little bit about what to expect.”
Even though I still missed her incredibly, and was so incredibly sad, it was my way of keeping things going.
Sarah Simon
A native of Germantown, Tennessee, Holli was a National Honor Society member and cheerleader at Germantown High School. She graduated summa cum laude from the University of Alabama in 1995 with a degree in accounting, earned her master’s, and was inducted into Beta Alpha Psi. She went on to spend more than two decades in Human Resources at Pricewaterhouse Coopers, where she was widely known as “the consummate professional.”
After Holli’s passing, Sarah took a brief leave from school, then returned to class to regain a sense of focus and stability.
“Even though I still missed her incredibly, and was so incredibly sad, it was my way of keeping things going,” Sarah said. “I knew that’s what she would have wanted, for me to keep things going, not to be too upset for too long.”
She remains determined to follow in her mother’s footsteps. Aiming for medical school, Sarah plans to take the MCAT this winter. She’s considering UAB, the University of South Alabama, and the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson.
“She didn’t crawl in a hole of self-pity,” Jonathan said of Sarah’s resilience following her mother’s passing. “She kept going. That’s Holli in her.”
Sarah credits her mother’s influence for much of her academic and personal motivation.
“I feel like, growing up, she was very smart herself, so she always pushed me and my sister in school,” Sarah said. “I feel like after she passed, seeing the impact she left on everyone, I really wanted to be half the woman she was.”
Jonathan and Holli were married for 23 years and raised their daughters, Sarah and Ann Everett, in Mountain Brook. Holli founded Collegiate Concierge for Samford University students, volunteered with the Dorians dance team, and was known as “the ultimate sports fan wife” — cheering for Alabama and, later, Ole Miss.
To honor Holli’s legacy, the family raises money for breast cancer patients. In 2023, they brought in more than $50,000 for Metavivor, a nonprofit supporting those living with metastatic breast cancer, by selling buttons ahead of the Alabama vs. Tennessee football game. The fundraiser is set to return this October when Tennessee plays in Tuscaloosa.
