A year after Danforth shooting victim Reese Fallon graduated from Malvern Collegiate, a student has received a scholarship in her name.

The 18-year-old was killed on July 22, 2018, just weeks before she was set to start a nursing program at McMaster University. On Friday, at a graduation ceremony at Fallon's former high school, the first annual Reese Fallon Legacy Scholarship was given to a student who personifies her spirit.

Julie Steel is a close friend of the Fallon family. She and her husband, Mark, who was also Fallon's grade 12 chemistry teacher, set up an online fundraising campaign to create an award in Reese's honour a day after she was killed.

"She was bright, kind … She cared about people, she cared about social issues. She really wanted to make the world a better place and I know she would have," Steel told CBC Radio's Metro Morning. "I just adored her."

Reese Fallon graduated from Malvern Collegiate in June 2018 and had plans to study nursing at McMaster University in the fall. (Obituary)

Steel said she was inspired to create the scholarship after a conversation with Fallon's mom, Claudine deBeaumont, who was worried that her daughter would be forgotten. Steel wasn't going to let that happen.

"Reese meant a lot to me and her family means a lot to me. I just felt a really strong need to do something to try to help make this a little bit better for them," she said.

"Students who never got the opportunity to get to know her will get to know what she was like and I think that's really important."

In her interview with Metro Morning, Steel did not want to reveal the recipient of the inaugural scholarship ahead of the graduation ceremony on Friday. Later in the day, Beaches-East York MPP Rima Berns-McGown tweeted that the award was given to Jessica Reynolds.

More than $80,000 has since been raised for the scholarship through online crowdfunding, and thousands more through community fundraisers. Steel called the reaction "incredible" and said the outpouring of support has helped Fallon's family get through what she describes as a "dark and difficult" year.

"Knowing all of the people that love and support them has helped them get through this, and focus on healing and making sure that Reese isn't forgotten," she said.

Outside of Malvern Collegiate, fresh flowers and notes continued to be placed at a makeshift memorial for Fallon. An award in Fallon's name was also created at Adam Beck, her elementary school.

"Here we are a year later and we're talking about her, and I think we're going to be talking about her every year going forward," said Steel.