Mary Wallace

My name is Mary Wallace and I am currently a Sophomore at Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau, Mo. I am a pre-nursing major, but will be eligible to apply for the program this spring. At the young age of nine, I was put under guardianship of a family friend after the loss of both of my parents. In April of 2015, my father suffered a heart attack and unfortunately passed away. This was a very difficult time for my family, but especially my mother who had to provide for my brother and I on one income. She tried her best to meet the needs for our family for three months before she fell ill and passed away in July of 2015. My brother and I had no family to take us in, so a family friend took a leap of faith and took us into her care. She was an elderly woman who was retired and living off of Social Security. Unfortunately for my brother and I, our parents had no life insurance. This made our financial situation stressful throughout my adolescence and continued into adulthood. This led to difficult budgeting decisions and several instances of not being able to meet needs in one category or another. Growing up in this lifestyle caused more hardship as I grew older. I got my first job as soon as I turned 15 in hopes to save money for a car. Having no financial help, I saved every penny I could until it was time to go car shopping. My hard work had paid off and I purchased my first car by myself at the age of 16. After that, I began working two jobs to save money for college. Since my mother died, I have wanted to go to college to be a nurse. She loved to help people, and by becoming a nurse I hope to become at least half the woman she was. I explored community college options and then came across a nearby university, Southeast Missouri State University. I fell in love with their program and the friendly environment. I applied to SEMO my senior year of high school and was accepted. As everyone knows, college tuition and fees are not cheap. And it was not until I came to college that I realized just how expensive it is. Tuition, general fees, housing, and living expenses add up very fast, especially for a college student who can only manage a part-time job. Unfortunately I have no family that is in a situation to offer me financial assistance, and with my parents leaving no life insurance, it was and is up to me to provide for myself and my future. Soon when I start nursing school, I will have additional expenses that can cause additional debt. It is difficult to create a balance between school and work, and this scholarship would help relieve some of the financial stress I am in so I can focus more on my degree.