I never thought I would lose my father so early. Just two years ago, my dad made a doctor’s appointment for a few minor symptoms only to learn that he had Stage 4 cancer. My sister had just graduataed from college that month and my brother, at that time, still had 2 more years. To say we were devasted at the loss of our dad is an understatement. My father was a man of integrity, kindness, and generosity. He brought a lot of joy to our home.
My father did not take life for granted. Having been diagnosed with malignant melonoma at the age of 26, my dad didn’t think he would live to even have children. He was given a less than 15% chance of surviving. God miraculously gave my dad a second chance and he lived cancer-free for 18 years, until my 16th birthday.
We got the diagnosis of terminal cancer on my 16th birthday, December 26th, 2018. My dad passed away just a few months later. Due to the fact that my dad had previously had cancer at such a young age, he was never able to purchase the amount of life insurance that he felt like his family needed. While he did have a policy that he had purchased at the age of 24, my dad always worried about the “unthinkable” since he now had a wife and 5 children. He taught us the importance of buying life insurance at a young age to “insure your insurability”. Not only did we lose our amazing dad, we also lost his income.
My mom has worked for many years as a teacher at a small school. Her income had previously always been used for tuition needs. Now, her income is critical. Had my dad been able to purchase more life insurance, the concern of paying tuition for myself and my brothers would have been greatly reduced. My twin brother and I will both graduate from high school in May and hope to attend college in the fall. In just 2 years my younger brother will be wanting to attend college as well. I know that the thought of 3 in college at the same time seems overwhelming to my mom. I would love to help relieve just a little of her worry with the help of scholarship money. My twin brother and I have been able to work at a factory with flexible hours part time to help with our expenses and are planning on working many more hours this summer when school is out. We are also hoping to find an on-campus job to help with expenses.
Thank you for providing an opportunity for students grieving the loss of a parent (and losing the income of that parent) a chance to reduce their college expenses. If selected a winner, I hope to have a career in the business world that will allow me to help others in my same situation to attend college.
My father did not take life for granted. Having been diagnosed with malignant melonoma at the age of 26, my dad didn’t think he would live to even have children. He was given a less than 15% chance of surviving. God miraculously gave my dad a second chance and he lived cancer-free for 18 years, until my 16th birthday.
We got the diagnosis of terminal cancer on my 16th birthday, December 26th, 2018. My dad passed away just a few months later. Due to the fact that my dad had previously had cancer at such a young age, he was never able to purchase the amount of life insurance that he felt like his family needed. While he did have a policy that he had purchased at the age of 24, my dad always worried about the “unthinkable” since he now had a wife and 5 children. He taught us the importance of buying life insurance at a young age to “insure your insurability”. Not only did we lose our amazing dad, we also lost his income.
My mom has worked for many years as a teacher at a small school. Her income had previously always been used for tuition needs. Now, her income is critical. Had my dad been able to purchase more life insurance, the concern of paying tuition for myself and my brothers would have been greatly reduced. My twin brother and I will both graduate from high school in May and hope to attend college in the fall. In just 2 years my younger brother will be wanting to attend college as well. I know that the thought of 3 in college at the same time seems overwhelming to my mom. I would love to help relieve just a little of her worry with the help of scholarship money. My twin brother and I have been able to work at a factory with flexible hours part time to help with our expenses and are planning on working many more hours this summer when school is out. We are also hoping to find an on-campus job to help with expenses.
Thank you for providing an opportunity for students grieving the loss of a parent (and losing the income of that parent) a chance to reduce their college expenses. If selected a winner, I hope to have a career in the business world that will allow me to help others in my same situation to attend college.