My father was born with a heart condition that made life insurance inaccessible, leaving my mother, my sister, and I without a financial safety net. My mother, a part-time preschool teacher, does not make a livable salary nor does she receive health insurance through her job. This is one of many pieces that has left our family struggling to navigate this new reality, while still deep in the ruins of grief. With my sister also in college and no financial aid available to us, the brunt of managing our household’s finances fell on me. I stepped into this role because my mother, despite her best efforts, was unfamiliar with handling such responsibilities. Balancing bills, tuition, and daily expenses became an unexpected but necessary part of my life.
Losing my father has deeply impacted my college plans. As a student-athlete pursuing a BS/MS in Molecular and Cellular Biology, I have committed myself to academic and athletic excellence. However, the financial strain has left me uncertain about how I will continue my education. The rigorous demands of Division I athletics significantly limit my ability to work traditional jobs, making financial independence even more challenging. Without my father’s support, I am faced with difficult decisions about affording tuition, housing, and other expenses while striving to complete my degree and pursue further education.
Had my father been eligible for adequate life insurance, my family’s situation would be vastly different. We would have had the financial stability to grieve without the immediate stress of how we would afford our futures. My mother wouldn’t have had to worry about how to support two college students on a part-time teacher’s salary. I wouldn’t have had to take on the overwhelming responsibility of managing our household’s finances while trying to succeed academically and athletically. Instead, we are learning to move forward with these hardships as best we can, finding strength in each other and with my father’s spirit in mind.
This scholarship represents more than just financial assistance—it is a lifeline that would allow me to continue pursuing my education without the constant fear of financial instability. It would give me the opportunity to excel in many avenues without the expense of other commitments, and carve out a future that my father would be proud of. Though his absence has reshaped my life in ways I never anticipated, continuing the life he set the stage for is honoring him the way I know how.