2020
 Country Financial Recipient

Emily Jordan

AMOUNT: $5,000
SCHOOL: Arizona State University
The passing of both my mom and dad has impacted me tremendously, emotionally and financially. When my dad committed suicide my mom was left with little to no life insurance leaving her with a lot of stress to support us. We had to move homes and my mom picked up a second nursing job to support me and my 2 siblings along with paying for my dad’s left behind bills. Throughout those years I developed depression and anxiety that was controlled through counseling and the emotional support of my mom. When she was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer my freshmen year of college she was extremely worried about finances as she was hardly able to work and dint have a good life insurance. She did her best to prepare us for what was to come to make things easier but things seemed to happen to fast before she got the chance.

After her sudden passing in April 2019 I completed a compassionate withdrawal from school to work full time to provide for my sister during the time of her finding the right guardian for her. I had so much motivation and drive to keep going to school but in the moment, I couldn’t imagine it being possible with everything we had to deal with financially. It came to a realization of how important life insurance is once we faced bills for her house she owned, car payments, funeral and lawyer costs with finding my sister a good guardian. After everything it left us with a small portion to give us some comfort if there were ever an emergency or with paying bills in general. One thing my mom told me was to not give up and keep going to school no matter want. With all the fears, depression, anxiety I am currently back enrolled at Arizona State University trying to fulfill my dream of becoming a registered dietitian hoping to graduate in 2021. Along with school I am working a full time serving job to provide for myself. However, this has been difficult as my anxiety and depression came back and I am struggling to balance it or even find time to go to counseling. I tend to prioritize working 40+ hours a week over school, just to be able to pay my bills.

I always thought there could have been a better outcome with both passing but writing this it has really made me think of the importance of good life insurance coverage. If both my mom and dad had better life insurance coverage there wouldn’t be as much stress on myself and siblings and we could focus more on our mental health.

I am hoping for any help through scholarships to relieve stress and cut down on hours at work so I can focus more on my classes and personal health.

The Life Lessons Scholarship is made possible through individual donations and corporate sponsorships. Your financial support can make a world of difference for a young person struggling to afford a college education due to the loss of a parent or guardian.

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