In July 2024 my world changed forever. My mom, my best friend, lost her battle with ovarian cancer after three years of fighting for her life. She refused to give up, even when doctors told her to. A month later, I left for college, trying to navigate life without her. I wanted to be excited for my first year of college, but the adjustment was harder than I expected. Just as I was beginning to find joy around me, my dad passed away in November from complications related to his Type 1 diabetes. In just four months, I lost both of my parents. At 19, life as I knew it was gone.

Growing up, my mom was always there for me and my three siblings, while my dad worked running his sealcoating business to provide for us. When my mom’s condition worsened in late 2023, I saw my dad more than ever. My dad became her strongest advocate, desperately searching for clinical trials. He rarely spoke about his emotions and carried his grief silently, but I could see his pain. He wanted nothing more than to save his best friend. When I left for college, I worried about him constantly, especially with his diabetes. My worst fear became reality two days into our trip to Florida. He had a low blood sugar reaction, and seconds later, he stopped breathing. Just like that, he was gone, four months after my mom passed.

Losing my parents has taken an immense toll on my mental health. I am six hours from home, trying to push forward while grieving an unimaginable loss. Financially, everything changed. My dad’s business supported us, but without him, stability disappeared. My uncle stepped in to help and does everything to support my family. To help financially, I take on responsibilities by applying for scholarships and looking for part-time work to support myself. While I can’t take away the burden entirely, I can create a stable future for myself.

Before my dad passed, he had started to create a will, but didn’t finish. This is causing a lot of family stress, trying to figure out what’s going to happen with his assets and belongings. My parents also didn’t have life insurance. If they had, things would’ve been different. We wouldn’t have to worry as much about tuition or expenses, and my uncle wouldn’t have to deal with this burden alone. Most people don’t think about life insurance until it’s too late, but experiencing these losses has shown me how essential it is.

I am grateful to still be attending college and I know my parents would be proud of me for choosing to still continuing my education. I plan to use my degree to build a stable future for myself, so I can create the life they always wanted for me. No matter how painful this new reality has been, I refuse to let it hold me back. Instead, I chose to carry on just as my parents taught me.

March 2021 was the night my world shattered. My mother, the woman who had raised me with love and strength, was taken from me in a tragic act of domestic violence. Her boyfriend ended her life before turning the gun on himself. In those moments of chaos, he turned to me. He hit me. He tried to take my life, too. But I escaped to my grandmother’s house as I banged on the door, crying for help. That night did not just steal my mother—it fractured my family, separating my siblings and leaving wounds that may never fully heal.

Yet, I refused to let my story end there. My mother raised me to be strong, to push forward no matter the obstacles. I channeled my pain into perseverance, finishing high school with a 3.0 GPA and being crowned homecoming king. Despite losing my family’s foundation, I found the strength to keep going, to honor my mother’s memory by building a future she would be proud of.

Before that tragic night, my life was full of love and family. My siblings and I, along with our cousins, were inseparable. We spent our days laughing, celebrating, and dreaming about the future. I never imagined we would one day be living in separate homes, forced apart by circumstances beyond our control. The pain of that separation fueled my determination to succeed, knowing my achievements could inspire hope for my family.

Now, I am a first-year student at North Carolina A&T, majoring in Mechanical Engineering. Engineering has always fascinated me; it’s the perfect blend of problem-solving and creativity. It represents my belief that even broken things—machines, systems, and even lives—can be rebuilt. My goal is to design innovative solutions that improve lives, just as I have worked to rebuild my own.

However, the financial burden of college threatens to take away the progress I have fought so hard for. My father is unable to co-sign for a loan, and without support, I may not be able to continue my education. But I refuse to give up. I have come too far and worked too hard to let financial obstacles stand in my way.

When my mother passed, she did not have life insurance, leaving my family with immense emotional and financial struggles. Without a safety net, my siblings and I faced overwhelming challenges—paying for basic needs, securing stable housing, and affording an education. If she had been insured, we would have had support to navigate this transition without financial fear. Instead, we relied on extended family to make ends meet. Despite these hardships, I remain committed to my education and future.

To support myself, I have taken on part-time work, applied for scholarships, and explored grants to help cover tuition. Every opportunity I pursue brings me closer to my goal of obtaining a degree and creating a stable future.

This scholarship is more than an opportunity—it is a lifeline. It would allow me to continue my education, build a future that honors my mother’s sacrifices, and reinforce the importance of life insurance in securing the future. I am not defined by tragedy. I am defined by my perseverance and commitment to creating a better future. With your support, I will continue to rise, proving that even in adversity, greatness is still possible.

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.