Joanne and Richard Seelaus Scholarship

I have been failed by the business industry. When my sister was first diagnosed with bipolar disorder, depression, and anxiety, I saw my family collapse under the weight of a system that was supposed to help. Trying our best to support my sister, I realized therapy appointments were expensive, medications were hard to afford, and insurance rarely covered what we truly needed. Even with any support provided, I had always wondered, with all the time and effort put forth to my sister, how come she still suffered? That was when I realized that without true passion, business and healthcare lose their power to truly help people. As my curiosity regarding my sisters health peaked, it sparked a question I couldn’t ignore: What if business, one run by a passionate individual, could be used to prevent this kind of suffering rather than profit from it? In DECA, an organization providing business competitions to young passionate teens, I channeled that question into something tangible. Working with a group of peers, we designed a half-thaw, half-hard plastic cutting board prototype in response to the rising rates of of bacterial infections from poor kitchen sanitation. This product resonated with me because I had seen how rushed meal prep in high-stress households could lead to unsafe food practices, which could lead to long-term health consequences and added medical costs that many families, including mine, simply can’t afford. After working on a 10-page research paper about foodborne illnesses and creating a model this board, my knowledge about the health industry expanded, and I became even more interested in providing health care for others. My passion in creating something that could protect families like mine increased. Presenting this idea and advancing to the state level validated something powerful for me: business innovation, when done right, can literally protect lives. My passion quickly shaped my academic and professional goals. I want to study business with a concentration in health innovation and entrepreneurship. My dream is to launch a company that develops products and services for mental health support for overall household wellness. I aim to make health care more accessible and affordable for families in times of crisis when mines couldn't. I want to build something that gives people a chance to breathe, to heal, to feel safe. My community work has always mirrored this mission. Over the past four years, I’ve led clothing drives and organized meal-packing events for underserved communities, providing essentials to families in need. As president of the Youth Community Service group in my town, I coordinated hospital visits for elderly individuals experiencing daily loneliness, spending hours talking with them and playing games to brighten their day. I am so grateful to help and create a loving connection between young volunteers and both elderly and underserved communities. Through this process, I’ve come to cherish the joy I can bring to other families, always holding onto the hope that one day, that same joy will find its way to my sister. My sister’s diagnosis changed my life. It taught me that behind every business lies the potential to build small, supportive systems that create massive and meaningful change. I believe the future belongs to entrepreneurs who lead with both heart and innovation, and I’m ready to be one of them.