My name is Rylan Sorrells. I am a senior in high school. My father unexpectedly passed away from a heart attack on 2/24/2018. He was a self employed mechanic. He was not only my father, but my best friend. He always made sure my siblings and I had everything we needed or wanted, even if he had to sacrifice something for himself. My father did not have any savings or life insurance when he passed. If he did, this would have helped fund college for me and my siblings and take some of the financial burden off my mother.
My parents divorced in 2013 but continued to care for us together. My father helped in every way possible, but when he passed suddenly, my mother had to do it all on her own. My mother has always worked a full time job. Luckily she has been able to support and care for my siblings and I, but saving for college has not been an option due only having one income in the household. Not only has the passing of my father impacted us, my sister has a disability which has resulted in more financial obligations. My mother has always found a way to make it work. We have been lucky to receive some help from family from time to time, but this help has been very limited due to their own obligations. I have worked odd jobs occasionally to help pay for gas in my car and other expenses to relieve some of the stress on my mother.
The loss of my father has not only caused a financial hardship, but it has caused a deep emotional loss. There is a hole in our lives that can never be filled. My father was an amazing man. Baseball is something that brought my father and I very close. I have played baseball since I was four years old, and my father was always my biggest fan. I continued playing since his passing and honored his memory in every game. I currently play high school baseball and wish I could look up into the stands and see him watching and smiling back at me. I miss him terribly.
My education has been extremely important to me. I have kept a high GPA and focused on honors and AP courses. My goal is to graduate with high honors and receive enough scholarships to pay for college. Without scholarships, attending college would be difficult, if not completely impossible. I don’t want my mother to worry about finding a way to pay for college.
When I receive my degree, I want to give back to those in need. I have experienced first hand how a major loss can affect someone in many ways. I want to be able to relieve some of the stress and financial burdens of others in the same situation as me. I know how much they are suffering emotionally, so I’d like to take away some of the financial stress. This would be what my father would want. I’d be extremely grateful to receive this scholarship and be able to continue to honor my father.