Hello, My name is Casey Wilson and I am currently a a senior undergraduate student at Texas Wesleyan University in Fort Worth, TX. I am a Spanish and History Double Major with the intentions of attending law school next fall. I appreciate the time and energy that you are devoting to keeping the legacy of Jaxon alive and all the hard work that you have done, and will continue to do to prepare students for a world that needs Your scholarship means the world to my family and me, as we have suffered through our lives because of the actions of very terrible people. Several years ago it had been discovered that my niece and nephew had both been victims of prolonged sexual abuse and disturbingly violent threats. We spent years and years attempting to work with the judicial system to bring their perpetrator to justice. I treated these children as my own, and for me I was going to stop at nothing to make sure that my family was protected and secure. Unfortunately, we were unsuccessful and now this person walks the streets as if he has never committed a single act of violence or abuse. It was at this point that I realized that it was time for me to make a difference. I want to make sure that no child ever has to experience the trauma, feel the pain, or live with the repercussions of actions for which they have no control. I want to make sure that people like my family's perpetrator, are given a proper trial and are treated accordingly in the eyes of the law. Living in Fort Worth I am surrounded by many people who may or may not speak the language or feel comfortable seeking out justice against their attackers because of many different types of fear. Last semester, I interned for a local child abuse advocacy center named Alliance for Children. The center focused on helping with investigations of abuse, providing services to children and families of abuse, and promoting education throughout the community with regards to child abuse and child safety. This experience was something that changed my life forever. When you see these children and families first hand, you begin to realize the importance of what it means to provide services and support in times of crisis. The crisis can become exponentially greater when the families have a language barrier, or live in fear of working with advocacy centers because of immigration status or lack of proper documentation. Only through education, determination, and love, can we promote healthy environments for children to flourish and become amazing adults. I hope that you will consider me for this award and I thank you for the time and energy that you are exerting towards the betterment of continuing education students everywhere. Sincerely, Casey Wilson P.S. If you would like to know more, please email me at: cwilson4@txwes.edu

In 2016, my mother was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer. After living with her in the hospital for 47 days, and then taking care of her for 6 months during her miraculous recovery, I knew that it was my turn to change the world before it was too late. I decided to go to school. I am only the 2nd person in my family to graduate high school, and the first to attend college. At the age of 37, life in college is much different for me because I own a home, have bills, and still have to work full-time to keep food on the table. Last year, my girlfriend was diagnosed with a rare form of breast cancer. Fortunately, we were able to catch it early and she has been cancer free for over a year now. However, life was not easy. We cried, worried, and felt some days that our world was falling apart right before our very eyes. But I never gave up on my dream. I kept my feet grounded and I stayed strong for my family, my colleagues, and myself. Because of this, I have an even stronger desire to give back to those who may not be fortunate enough to have access to the kinds of resources that we have access to here in the United States. I truly believe that becoming an Immigration attorney and working for a non-profit organization such as Unicef, is one of the greatest ways that anyone can impact the lives of those who are less fortunate. There are millions of people in the world that are being limited by not only their financial or physical constraints, but also their geographical location. In the words of Nelson Mandela, "In a world that so often decries the apathy of its youth, we can open our arms for millions of adolescents eager to contribute their new ideas and bounding enthusiasm." Last semester, I was an intern for a child advocacy center here in my city and it changed my life forever. I spent every week with children and families that had been victims of trauma. No matter where these children or adults were from, how much money they had, or what kind of car they drove, they all needed one thing. They needed or help. I cried a million tears of both sadness and joy because of the work the organization did. And I came to realize one very important thing. There is a world full of beautiful and brilliant minds, hearts, and souls in the world just wishing they could have a chance to show the world that they are capable of so much more than where they are or what they have come from. I believe that I can be an advocate for them and I will not stop until working to make the world a better place until I take my last breath. Thank you for carrying on the legacy of Catrina through this scholarship.