There have been many moments in my life that I felt like giving up. That I felt like quitting would just simply be easier. I lost my dad to stage four esophageal cancer when I was 10 years old. Overnight, my life changed forever. Around the same time, I began struggling in school and was eventually diagnosed with Dysgraphia and dyslexia. As a young child, I questioned why these hard things were happening to me and my family. Looking back now, I realize that the only thing that got me through was faith. Faith is what shaped me into the person I am today. Faith isn't just believing in something, it's living out your life, trusting in God. It's remembering that even through trials, God has a bigger and better plan for you. After losing my dad, my mom became a single parent. During this time we went through a lot of challenges financially, and emotionally. There were many moments where we didn't know what we were gonna do, but we continued to trust in Christ. He is the one who carried us through. God put people in our lives, he built a community around us, who loved us, supported us, and encouraged us. He continuously provided for us time after time again. Through the support of others, I witnessed the Lord's love firsthand. During it all, God was still working. My faith and relationship with God has been a guiding force in my academic journey. School didn't come easy, there were many nights that I stayed up late working on homework, feeling frustrated and discouraged. I will always remember how my mom and my grandma stayed by my side, believing in me, encouraging me, and more importantly praying over me. They always reminded me to lean not on my own understanding, but on God's understanding, for only he can give us strength to overcome challenges. Faith is also the very thing that made me want to pursue higher education. My father valued education very much, although he never had the opportunity to attend college himself. After the death of my father, my mom worked endlessly to provide for me and support my goals. Both of their examples, along with my faith, are what has motivated and pushed me to continue my education. I truly strive to be able to make a difference in the lives of others, just as my parents did in my life and in the lives of those around them. This fall, I will be a sophomore at Dallas Baptist University, studying elementary education. I truly feel called to become an elementary school teacher, and eventually a school counselor. My hardships have given me a passion to help struggling children find success. I truly believe that every child is capable of learning and succeeding. I plan on showing the Lord's love to every student and parent that ever steps into my classroom. For me, Faith is more than attending chapel services, participating in Bible studies or even attending church. Faith is turning to the Lord in every aspect of life. Faith is trusting in God's plan, even when it's hard and you don't understand it. Faith is what gave me hope when I felt hopeless, strength when I wanted to quit, courage when I was scared, and purpose when I did not know what my future held. It truly is faith that taught me that God uses every challenge, and situation for a greater purpose. Instagram: @kaytyrose07

When I was 10 years old, my dad passed away after a brutal, seven month battle with stage IV esophageal cancer. Overnight, my life changed forever. My mom suddenly became a single parent, carrying the emotional and financial weight of our family by herself. Around the same time, I began struggling with school. Things that would take the average child 10 minutes to do, could take me hours to complete. Finally, I got diagnosed with dysgraphia and dyslexia, but the road to success was hard. I went through a phase of ultimate frustration, I lost hope, I almost gave up, and if it weren't for those around me who offered me support, I wouldn't be where I am today. What helped both me and my mom survive this time of an immense struggle, we're the friends, family, teachers, and community members who supported us when we needed them the most. They brought us meals, helped with Christmas, helped drive me to school, prayed for us and encouraged us. It's their love and kindness that showed me what it looks like to be a servant leader, and inspired me to do the same for others. Today, I get the privilege to help students and families who are going through similar situations. One of the most meaningful ways I get to give back is by mentoring young girls who have lost their fathers. Because I understand how difficult it is to lose a parent, I'm able to connect with them, to make them feel like someone understands what they're going through. Sometimes when we meet, we do crafts, play games, spend time together, or simply just talk. My favorite part of my time with them isn't a specific activity, but is helping them realize that they're not alone. Knowing that I'm able to help someone feel seen and heard, is truly so meaningful to me. I am so blessed that I get the opportunity to pour into and love these girls. Additionally, I also have the opportunity to provide free and low-cost babysitting for single moms in my church. Growing up with a single mom, I've witnessed how exhausting and overwhelming every day can feel. By giving these moms a couple hours to themselves, to get groceries, run errands or simply just sit down and breathe, I'm able to make an impact and support them in a practical way. I love getting to connect with these kids, and see how truly grateful they are. One challenge that I have faced while serving children who have experienced loss is that it often reminds me of myself at that age. Sometimes their stories take me back to my own grief and my own struggles. I see myself in them so much, but this is also the very thing that gives me strength and encourages me to keep going. One of the most important lessons I've learned is that oftentimes God uses even our hardest experiences for a greater purpose. These experiences have opened my eyes to what service really is about. Service isn't about recognition, but instead it’s about finding a need, and finding a way to supply those needs. These experiences have taught me what true faith is: trusting in God's plan, and using past experiences to uplift and show hope to others. As a future teacher, and school counselor, my goal is to continue to serve kids and families for the rest of my life. Instagram: @katyrose07

My inspiration to become a teacher comes from the educators around me who have made an impact in my life and have helped me through some of the most challenging years. I have truly seen firsthand, the pros and the cons of being an educator. I come from a family of educators, my mom is a kindergarten teacher, my grandparents are retired principal's and I have a large extended family full of teachers. I have seen firsthand the sacrifices, time, investments, and commitment that it takes to be a good teacher. Because I grew up in a family educators, you might think that school and learning has always come easily for me. However, the exact opposite is true. Early on in my elementary years, I struggled with reading and writing. Sometimes things that would take other students 10 minutes to do, could take me hours, and even after hours of investment, my handwriting would often time still be illegible. When I was nine years old, we finally discovered why; I had dyslexia and dysgraphia. On top of my learning challenges, I also faced vision and perceptual issues, which would sometimes make words and lines seem impossible to read or write. Shortly after discovering the cause of my learning difficulties, my dad who was my biggest hero, passed away from cancer. Losing him deeply affected me. It causes me to become even more shy, and question my future. Sometimes, during this period, I questioned if I should just give up. If it weren't for the support of teachers, mentors, tutors, and family members, I may have given up. It is truly these people who encouraged me, helped me, and refused to let me quit. One teacher, in particular completely changed my perspective on learning. In sixth grade, I had the most amazing language art teacher. She read books aloud to us and truly made reading come to life. She saw potential in me and helped me work to get my ideas on paper. She encouraged me and made me believe that I could write, and that I could be successful. During this time, I also began tutoring twice a week in a special phonics program. I had an amazing tutor who helped me rediscovered that learning could be fun, and that I was capable of learning. Through these two individuals, and the many more who helped me find success, I began to discover that I liked reading and writing. This support system made me want to keep trying, and made me have a sense of hope I didnt have before. For the first time, I was able to successfully learn how I learned. This is truly what changed the projectory of my academic journey. Seventh grade also proved a turning point for me. In seventh grade, I had an amazing choir teacher that helped me develop my passion for music. I hadn't had a great experience in elementary school music, but I loved to sing. However, I lacked the confidence and training that I needed to grow as a musician. My seventh grade choir teacher saw and found the positive in every student she taught, including me. She encouraged me more than I think anyone outside of my family had ever encouraged me before. I began to sing solos and compete musically for the first time. I became part of show choir and I truly found my voice through singing. My choir director showed us how to work as a team, believe in ourselves, work hard and share our gifts with others. Her influence showed me that great teachers do more than just teach, they help students discover strengths that they never knew they had, this is something that I hope to do for students in the future. Because of the teachers who supported and believed in me when I didn't even believe in myself, I was finally able to find success. In high school, I was able to take honors classes and dual credit classes, something that I once never thought would be possible. I graduated with 24 hours of college credit and a 3.8 GPA. I was a member of show choir, National Honors Society, the Ready-Set-Teach program, and the All-State Choir. I graduated with over 100 hours of community service, most of these hours volunteering with young children. Now, I have just completed my freshman year of college at Dallas Baptist University while still uploading my 3.8 GPA. At Dallas Baptist, I've been able to take leadership classes, and I'm looking forward to joining the teacher preparation program next year. I currently lead a children's Bible study, mentor multiple girls who have lost a parent, and work as a camp counselor. Already, I have been able to give back and help others, overcome their grief, and gain confidence and resilience. These are some of the gifts I want to continue to give to other children inside and outside of the classroom. All of these are lessons that I learned through teachers, family members and community members who have truly inspired me to want to give back to others. I truly believe and know that every child can learn and can be successful. I want to help struggling learners gain confidence and skills that will help them to become lifelong learners. I also want to be the nurturing presence that believes in a child and instills the reassurance that dreams are possible and that there is always hope. Making this dream come true will only be possible with continued financial assistance. My mom works so hard to provide for my family, she's even picked up extra summer work just to be able to support me. I plan on working all summer, and throughout college to be able to make this dream come true, but there is still high financial need. This scholarship will allow me to continue my dream of servant leadership in the classroom. Thank you for investing in me and in the lives of future generations.

Music and singing have always been a huge part of my life. I've been singing and doing choir since fourth grade, I've been a part of show choir since middle school, and I've grown so much over the years. However, it hasn't always been easy; there have been many times where I've put my all into something, and didn’t receive recognition, whether it was not receiving solos, not being acknowledged for my improvement, or watching others receive credit for the hard work that I myself had poured into. These moments, even though they were frustrating, shaped me into the individual I am today. During my junior year, I auditioned yet again for show choir, in hopes of joining all my friends and finally making varsity. I had been a part of JV show choir and been in a varsity choir for three years, and I strived more than anything to be able to perform with my friends in VOC, our top show choir. I prepared for weeks for the audition. I worked extra hours on memorizing my song and working with my voice teacher. As soon as the audition dance came out, I jumped at the opportunity to start rehearsing. I practiced nonstop; I even reached out to some of my friends who helped me learn the choreography. I pushed myself more than I had ever pushed myself before. Finally, audition day came. First, I performed my solo audition. Despite having a sinus infection, I went out there and sang louder than ever. Up until this point, I had grown so much in my singing abilities, yet seemed to never get much recognition for my improvement from my directors. I developed confidence, I had gotten over being that shy and quiet singer, and learned to believe in myself. Then, it was finally time for the dancing audition. I was one of the first to perform my dancing audition. I went out there with more confidence than I had ever had before. I truly came out of that audition knowing that I did the best I could. After hours and hours of waiting, the results were finally posted. I knew I had done all that I could; I felt confident about the way I had performed. As I went down the list, I was heartbroken to discover that my name was not there. Despite all my hard work and preparation, despite it being the most confident I had ever been, I didn’t make it; it wasn't enough. I was devastated. I didn’t understand why this had happened when I had worked so hard and grown so much. I felt discouraged. I was so upset that I wouldn’t get to be with my friends for my senior year of show choir. I could’ve quit. I could have taken choir off my schedule for the next year; I could’ve had a negative attitude towards my directors and their decision. However, in that moment, I remembered what my mom had always taught me: You can’t control what happens to you in life, but what you can control is how you react. And so, from then on, I decided that I was going to show my true character, I was going to show the type of person that I was- the kind of person who continues to show up, who continues to work hard, and show growth over bitterness even in hard situations. So, I worked extra hard on learning the music for the end-of-year concert, and I remained positive with my directors, still showing respect and even helping with tasks around the choir room. The following year, we had a massive change of leadership. We had all new directors, which made many students drop out of choir and show choir, and even the long-time manager of VOC decided to give up her role. So, when I got the call from the booster president, and my old voice teacher, who was now the new director, asking me to be the manager of VOC, I agreed. Accepting this role meant that I could be a part of the team, that I could be with my friends, and I could help the team grow and succeed through this new change. But it wasn't easy not being able to be up there performing next to my friends. However, this experience taught me so much. Truth is, I loved being able to go to competitions with my friends, being able to go on a choir trip with them, being a part of the team, and being able to contribute in some way, even if it wasn't my original plan. As a manager, I helped plan schedules, supported the team, assisted with costumes, worked backstage, and played a vital role in contributing to and serving the group. Even though I wasn't on stage under the bright lights, I contributed to the group’s success in a different, but meaningful way. This experience completely changed my perspective on a lot of things. It taught me what being a real leader looks like, what being a team player looks like. It taught me that being a true leader means stepping in when help is most needed, even if it's hard, or not your original plan. I learned that leadership wasn't about being seen, it was about helping and serving others. It’s about working hard and remaining positive even in hard situations. Being a team player means being someone whom others can rely on. If I were faced with the same situation again, I would absolutely react the same way. Because now I see what once felt like a missed opportunity was instead a turning point. It opened up a different opportunity and served as a lesson that I can now live by forever. It was used to teach me how to lead and how to continue growing even through difficult moments. Most importantly, it taught me what true resilience, commitment, and willingness to grow looks like.

My name is Kaytlyn Johnson. I am a Freshman at Dallas Baptist University. I lost my Dad, who was my hero at age 10. This loss affected me in many ways, shaking my confidence, and making me want to give up. Growing up, I struggled with a learning disability: dysgraphia. School was hard, particularly reading and writing, became a daily struggle. It was the love and support of Teachers, extended family, and members of our church that wouldn’t let me give up. My Mom was immediately thrust into being a single Mom, going back to teaching full time, doing tutoring jobs and providing for us. It created a difficult transition for a preteen girl. My faith and the unconditional love that I was shown created in me the desire to give back and to serve. Grief, loss, financial hardships, and lack of resources and support are obstacles that face single Moms and their children every year. These families need not only resources, but loving, supporting communities behind them to thrive. I have become an advocate and champion of those children. I serve in a large church ministry and have served as a small group leader getting to interact, impact and invest in fourth and fifth grade girls. I get to pour into them unconditional love, reslience, strength, and the belief that their dreams are still possible. This provided with the mission of Milestone church to serve single Moms helps these families thrive. I have had the privilege of helping with activities like Christmas Wonder, and JOY which honors meeting practical needs and making single Moms feel seen and loved. Through serving as a summer camp counselor, I got to spend a week pouring into and working with several young girls who were in single parent homes creating community and trust. I also provide childcare for single Moms meeting a physical and financial need but more importantly creating and building a lasting bond with their children. I also mentor young girls that have lost a parent. This mentoring is something that gives me great joy. I was able to go on a mission trip this spring where I was able to use my story to share the love of Jesus with struggling students. Through a Christan sorority at DBU, I get the opportunity to engage in service projects that impact women and children of poverty all over Texas. Volunteering at a local elementary school and mentoring a fifth grade student has given me the chance to show struggling students that they can learn and that education opens doors and possibilities. Service, gratitude and trying to make the world better for others are important elements of my life. I am currently on track to get my degree in Elementary Education where I will have the ability to love, impact and teach this resilience, strength, and perseverance to future generations. I hope to someday pursue counseling as well as working with children and families. My family still has financial needs and medical expenses that make the cost of college an obstacle. It is only through the generosity and support of scholarships like this one that I am able to pursue these dreams. Thank you for making an investment in the lives of future students.

My Dad fought a brutal battle with Esophageal Cancer when I was 10 years old. He died within a year of his diagnosis, and I still cannot believe how this disease destroyed this high-energy, funny, and loving man in such a devastating manner. In the blink of an eye, cancer changed everything in my life. My Mom and I had lost the biggest love of our lives, our biggest encourager, and our source of financial provision. Everything we had was instantly at risk. This type of abrupt change was a catalyst to transform who I was before into who I needed to be now, to survive financially, emotionally, and spiritually. The struggles that followed affected my perspective on life. I learned gratitude for the people who supported me, instead of trying to handle everything on my own.  I learned to adapt, to keep moving forward even when it felt that success wasn’t in reach. I learned the value of hard work. I grew from someone who primarily received help into someone who strives to give, serve, and support others. These lessons built new aspirations into my career goals. Despite struggling in school due to dysgraphia, I experienced the impact of teachers, tutors, and specialists who understood my challenges and helped me find success. Instead of allowing my challenges to hinder my learning, I became an expert in learning ways to adapt, while building perseverance, flexibility, and stamina. My career goal is to become a teacher who can help struggling students find their own success. I have additional goals, in time, to become a school intervention counselor who can help children deal with the despair of losing a loved one, academic challenges, and trauma. As a freshman in college, I am already pursuing this purpose through service project such as mentoring a fourth grade student at a local elementary school, volunteering in kindergarten classes at the school where my mom works, providing volunteer babysitting to single moms at my church, being a member of a service sorority which serves single Moms and homeless people in South Texas and by serving as a worship and small group leader for fourth and fifth grade students at my church. These experiences have reinforced my passion for helping those in need, just as many helped my family and me in a time of extreme loss. Although losing my dad to cancer was the hardest experience in my life, it ultimately shaped me into a stronger, more compassionate, giving, and determined individual. Cancer completely changed my life, but I was able to find purpose through it: to help others overcome challenges and to remind them that their circumstances don’t define their ability to make a difference in the world.

My journey in music has been significantly enhanced by the support and expertise of my private lesson and now choir teacher, Mrs.Hicks. She has not only helped me sharpen my vocal skills but has also instilled in me a deep sense of confidence that carries over into every area of my life. Through personalized instruction, constructive feedback, and a nurturing environment, Mrs.Hicks has played a crucial role in my growth as a vocalist and as an individual. As a child, school, homework and expressing myself were always a struggle. My significant speech delays, dysgraphia and vision issues caused school to be challenging to say the least. I struggled to exactly find my place and leave my mark on the world. This all changed however when I fell in love with music and truly found my voice through singing. Fast forward with me a few years to the summer before my Freshman year in high school where I met the person that helped take a simple love of choir and singing and turn it into my ability to perform and share myself with others. That summer I began forty five minute voice lessons and was introduced to a new level of sight reading, solos and the all state audition process. Mrs. Hicks was a natural encourager. She was nurturing, supportive and always saw the best in me. She didn’t just dismiss me because I sometimes appeared quiet, introverted and reserved. Instead, she saw something in me that I couldn’t yet see in myself and helped me grow. She took a student who didn't know how to sight read, struggled to pronounce words in other languages ,and could barely stand in front of a crowd and transformed me into a member of the Texas All Region Choir. The journey of becoming a confident and successful member of a choir is multifaceted, and my private lesson teacher has been a pivotal figure in that journey. At first auditions were my worst nightmare. I had to develop my stage presence and learn to believe in myself. There were some pitfalls along the way, not every performance went as planned, but through it all Mrs. Hicks still believed in me. Before every performance she gave me encouraging pep talks, and let me know that no matter what she was proud of me. With my teacher’s guidance, I have learned that success is not just about talent but also about dedication, resilience, and the courage to embrace challenges. As I continue my musical journey, I am grateful for the invaluable role my teacher has played in helping me find my voice.

Since I was little, I have known I wanted to be a teacher. I always used to go into my mom's kindergarten classroom and pretend I was teaching students. I absolutely adore kids, they always seem to bring a smile on my face, they are funny, smart, cute and even _ at times. I love getting to volunteer with kids and I always stove to make a positive impact in their life. Growing up in school was a struggle for me. I hated school so much, I felt like I wasn't smart and like I was a failure. A few years later I got tested and discovered I have dysgraphia. This diagnosis was extremely hard, I hated having a label on me, I thought that having a learning disability meant I would never flourish in school. I almost gave up, I almost said I'm done with school I will never be able to succeed and push through. If it weren't for my family and a couple teachers who believed in me, I'm not sure I'd be where I am today. These people greatly impacted my life, they encouraged me and stayed by my side even in the nights where it took me hours to do one writing assignment. A few years later I figured out the learning methods that worked best for me, this was a total game changer in my academic success. Perhaps my greatest challenge though came when as a ten-year-old I lost my dad, who was my hero to cancer. This experience at first made me question my faith, be hesitant to trust anyone and be a little more reserved. Luckily, I had people in my life, who supported me and walked with me through this grief journey. Instead of giving into this challenge I rose to overcome it and in the process learned to truly adapt and adjust to many different situations. It has made me a more loving, empathetic, and confident young woman. These experiences have impacted me significantly, it's made me want to be a teacher and encourage kids. I truly strive to show every kid that they can learn, they are capable of success they just have to learn how they learn. Starting next fall, I plan on attending Dallas Baptist University and majoring in elementary education with a focus on helping kids with reading-based learning disabilities. It has always been my dream to attend college and as soon as I walked through the doors of DBU my Junior year I knew it was the place for me. Since then, I have been working extremely hard to make this dream come true. I have maintained a 3.8 GPA, made A & B honor roll and I have 21 hours of dual credit high school classes. The only thing that now stands in my way is figuring out how to finance college. Due to the death of my father in 2017 when I was just 10 years old my mom’s financial situation has changed a lot. She's taken a full-time public-school teaching job, worked camps in the summer and done extra tutoring just to help us get by and pay for my school activities, I have worked full time in the summers and part time during the school year since I was 16 to help offset costs. Without scholarships like this it will be difficult for me to attend college and obtain my goal and dream of becoming an educator. An investment in me will truly change not only my life, but the lives of future children for generations.

Starting next fall, I plan on attending Dallas Baptist University and majoring in elementary education with a focus on helping kids with reading-based learning disabilities. It has always been my dream to attend college and as soon as I walked through the doors of DBU my Junior year I knew it was the place for me. Since then, I have been working extremely hard to make this dream come true. I have maintained a 3.8 GPA, made A & B honor roll and had 21 hours of dual credit high school classes. I have written essays, filled out all my financial aid paperwork, met with admissions and the education department and everyone is excited to have me as a DBU Patriot. The only thing that now stands in my way is figuring out how to finance college. As a private college DBU costs on average over $50,000. Although I've gotten a little bit of money from the government in the form of a Pell grant and TEG I still have a long way to go. Due to the death of my father in 2017 when I was just 10 years old my mom’s financial situation has changed a lot. She's taken a full-time public-school teaching job, worked camps in the summer and done extra tutoring just to help us get by and pay for my school activities, I have worked full time in the summers and part time during the school year since I was 16 to help offset costs. I worked as a nanny and also as a daycare provider at Premier Prep School in Keller. Scholarships such as this one will be necessary to help me fulfill my dreams. I have overcome many challenges during my years of schooling. I have dysgraphia and this made learning, particularly reading and writing a challenge for me. I had to figure out how my brain worked best, how I learned and how I could adjust to be successful. This ability to adapt to new situations and to find strategies to be successful have not only made me a more successful student but a more caring and resilient person as well. These experiences have made me a more nurturing and compassionate individual as I truly seek to see the good in others. I believe these challenges will be a gift to me as a future educator as I truly do know every child can learn and seek to empower students to reach their full potential. Perhaps my greatest challenge though came when as a ten-year-old I lost my dad, who was my hero to cancer. This experience at first made me question my faith, be hesitant to trust anyone and be a little more reserved. Luckily, I had people in my life, who supported me and walked with me through this grief journey. Instead of giving into this challenge I rose to overcome it and in the process learned to truly adapt and adjust to many different situations. It has made me a more loving, empathetic, and confident young woman. I have already had the opportunity to give back and to mentor several young girls who have lost a parent. Without scholarships like this it will be difficult for me to attend college and obtain my goal and dream of becoming an educator. It is my desire to be a servant and to impact the lives of many students. An investment in me will truly change not only my life, but the lives of future children for generations.

We all go through tough times but what is most important is to have a positive attitude even when it may seem like everything and everyone around you is turning the opposite direction. As my mom always says you can be sad for a little while but at the end of the day you have to try to be positive or else you won't survive. Sometimes I would get so annoyed by this answer, how could I be positive when it feels like my whole world is crumbling into pieces? But as I grew up, I found this to be true, being negative will only make you feel worse. This is such an important lesson and every day I try to be positive and spread kindness. Even if it's just a smile, you never know what someone may be going through and one small act like that can brighten up their day. I was born to loving parents in Fort Worth Texas on a cool January day. Since day one I have always been extremely close to my extended family. I was a pretty normal child; I loved playing superhero with my dad and watching Disney movies. Everything was going great until I started first grade. That's when I started struggling with school. When I compared my handwriting to my peers, I quickly realized mine looked so much worse. I started struggling with math and I would have to spend hours at the kitchen table while my grandma tried to help me understand. I was so frustrated that everything took me longer, I felt like I couldn't learn that I would never succeed. During this time, I had some really great teachers that encouraged me, believed in me and truly wanted me to succeed. My family also pushed me to not give up. Finally in 5th grade I was able to get tested and I found out I had dysgraphia. In a way this diagnosis almost helped me, I finally was able to realize why I was struggling. I was finally able to learn how I learn. I kept working and after this year by year I got better. Once I got into middle school my hard work started to pay off when I was able to make all A’s and B’s. In high school I was able to make primarily A’s and take honors and dual credit classes. I wouldn't have been able to do it without my support system who didn't give up on me, who pushed me even when I wanted to give up. Perhaps my greatest challenge though came when as a ten-year-old I lost my dad, who was my hero to cancer. This experience at first made me question my faith, be hesitant to trust anyone and be a little more reserved. Luckily, I had people in my life, who supported me and walked with me through this grief journey. Instead of giving into this challenge I rose to overcome it and in the process learned to truly adapt and adjust to many different situations. It has made me a more loving, empathetic, and confident young woman. I have already had the opportunity to give back and to mentor several young girls who have lost a parent. Without scholarships like this it will be difficult for me to attend college and obtain my goal and dream of becoming an educator. It is my desire to be a servant and to impact the lives of many students. An investment in me will truly change not only my life, but the lives of future children for generations.

I have overcome many challenges during my years of schooling. I have dysgraphia and this made learning, particularly reading and writing a challenge for me. I had to figure out how my brain worked best, how I learned and how I could adjust to be successful. This ability to adapt to new situations and to find strategies to be successful have not only made me a more successful student but a more caring and resilient person as well. These experiences have made me a more nurturing and compassionate individual as I truly seek to see the good in others. I believe these challenges will be a gift to me as a future educator as I truly do know every child can learn and seek to empower students to reach their full potential. more effective for every student. Another big part of my life has been music and choir. My journey in music has been significantly enhanced by the support and expertise of my private lesson and now choir teacher, Mrs.Hicks. She has not only helped me sharpen my vocal skills but has also instilled in me a deep sense of confidence that carries over into every area of my life. As a child, school, homework and expressing myself were always a struggle. My significant speech delays, dysgraphia and vision issues caused school to be challenging to say the least. I struggled to exactly find my place and leave my mark on the world. This all changed however when I fell in love with music and truly found my voice through singing. Fast forward with me a few years to the summer before my freshman year in high school where I met the person that helped take a simple love of choir and singing and turn it into my ability to perform and share myself with others. That summer I began forty-five-minute voice lessons and was introduced to a new level of sight reading, solos and all state audition process. Mrs. Hicks was a natural encourager. She was nurturing, supportive and always saw the best in me. She didn’t just dismiss me because I sometimes appeared quiet, introverted and reserved. Instead, she saw something in me that I couldn’t yet see in myself and helped me grow. She took a student who didn't know how to sight read, struggled to pronounce words in other languages ,and could barely stand in front of a crowd and transformed me into a member of the Texas All Region Choir. The journey of becoming a confident and successful member of a choir is multifaceted, and my private lesson teacher has been a pivotal figure in that journey. I had to develop my stage presence and learn to believe in myself. There were some pitfalls along the way, not every performance went as planned, but through it all Mrs. Hicks still believed in me. With my teacher’s guidance, I have learned that success is not just about talent but also about dedication, resilience, and the courage to embrace challenges. As I continue my musical journey and educational journey, I am grateful for the invaluable role my teacher has played in helping me find my voice. Without scholarships like this it will be difficult for me to attend college and obtain my goal and dream of becoming an educator. It is my desire to be a servant and to impact the lives of many students. An investment in me will truly change not only my life, but the lives of future children for generations.

Community service is very important to me. It brings me joy to help others. I am a two-year member of the National Honors Society where I serve for over 30 hours a year. I volunteer at a elementary school in the kindergarten classrooms and at special events such as Trunk or Treat etc. It brings me pleasure to work with the kids, see their smiles and to be able to pitch in wherever I am needed. I am also very fortunate to be a member of a church that values community service and provides many opportunities to serve. I volunteer each week as a fourth hand fifth grade small group worship leader. I also mentor a group of elementary age girls who have lost a parent. I love working with these girls each week and building relationships and helping them grow. All of these experiences have allowed me to improve my leadership skills and will be a great asset to me as a future educator. It is my desire to be a servant and to impact the lives of many students. An investment in me will truly change not only my life, but the lives of future children for generations.

Starting next fall, I plan on attending Dallas Baptist University and majoring in elementary education with a focus on helping kids with reading-based learning disabilities. It has always been my dream to attend college and as soon as I walked through the doors of DBU my Junior year I knew it was the place for me. Since then, I have been working extremely hard to make this dream come true. I have maintained a 3.8 GPA, made A & B honor roll and have 21 hours of dual credit high school classes. I have written essays, filled out all my financial aid paperwork, met with admissions and the education department and everyone is excited to have me as a DBU Patriot. The only thing that now stands in my way is figuring out how to finance college. As a private college DBU costs on average over $50,000. Although I've gotten a little bit of money from the government in the form of a Pell grant and TEG I still have a long way to go. Due to the death of my father in 2017 when I was just 10 years old my mom’s financial situation has changed a lot. She's taken a full-time public-school teaching job, worked camps in the summer and done extra tutoring just to help us get by and pay for my school activities, I have worked full time in the summers and part time during the school year since I was 16 to help offset costs. I worked as a nanny and also as a daycare provider at Premier Prep School in Keller. Scholarships such as this one will be necessary to help me fulfill my dreams. I have overcome many challenges during my years of schooling. I have dysgraphia and this made learning, particularly reading and writing a challenge for me. I had to figure out how my brain worked best, how I learned and how I could adjust to be successful. This ability to adapt to new situations and to find strategies to be successful have not only made me a more successful student but a more caring and resilient person as well. I believe these challenges will be a gift to me as a future educator as I truly do know every child can learn and seek to empower students to reach their full potential. I will also constantly be on the lookout for tools, strategies and tips to make learning easier and more effective for every student. Perhaps my greatest challenge though came when as a ten-year-old I lost my dad, who was my hero to cancer. This experience at first made me question my faith, be hesitant to trust anyone and be a little more reserved. Luckily, I had people in my life, who supported me and walked with me through this grief journey. Instead of giving into this challenge I rose to overcome it and in the process learned to truly adapt and adjust to many different situations. It has made me a more loving, empathetic, and confident young woman. I have already had the opportunity to give back and to mentor several young girls who have lost a parent. These challenges have inspired me to work hard, make smart Finacial decisions and do whatever it takes to go to college and better my future. I hope to serve as an inspiration that no matter what we face in life with hard work, resilience and dedication anyone can be successful and achieve their dreams.

Jack Terrys story truly is an inspiration. As someone who has gone through loss and hardships io respect his determination and resilience so much. He truly is an inspiration and living proof that no matter what we go through every child can be successful. Terry's story continues to live on in memory of him as a reminder to never give up and rise up above the adversities and challenges this world brings us. I have overcome many challenges during my years of schooling. I have dysgraphia and this made learning, particularly reading and writing a challenge for me. I had to figure out how my brain worked best, how I learned and how I could adjust to be successful. This ability to adapt to new situations and to find strategies to be successful have not only made me a more successful student but a more caring and resilient person as well. These experiences have made me a more nurturing and compassionate individual as I truly seek to see the good in others. I believe these challenges will be a gift to me as a future educator as I truly do know every child can learn and seek to empower students to reach their full potential. I will also constantly be on the lookout for tools, strategies and tips to make learning easier and more effective for every student. Perhaps my greatest challenge though came when as a ten-year-old I lost my dad, who was my hero to cancer. This experience at first made me question my faith, be hesitant to trust anyone and be a little more reserved. Luckily, I had people in my life, who supported me and walked with me through this grief journey. Instead of giving into this challenge I rose to overcome it and in the process learned to truly adapt and adjust to many different situations. It has made me a more loving, empathetic, and confident young woman. I have already had the opportunity to give back and to mentor several young girls who have lost a parent. Someday I hope to become a child counselor and to specialize in grief and loss. Starting next fall, I plan on attending Dallas Baptist University and majoring in elementary education with a focus on helping kids with reading-based learning disabilities. It has always been my dream to attend college and as soon as I walked through the doors of DBU my Junior year I knew it was the place for me. Since then, I have been working extremely hard to make this dream come true. I have maintained a 3.8 GPA, made A & B honor roll and had 21 hours of dual credit high school classes. The only thing that now stands in my way is figuring out how to finance college. Due to the death of my father in 2017 when I was just 10 years old my mom’s financial situation has changed a lot. She's taken a full-time public-school teaching job, worked camps in the summer and done extra tutoring just to help us get by and pay for my school activities, I have worked full time in the summers and part time during the school year since I was 16 to help offset costs. Without scholarships like this it will be difficult for me to attend college and obtain my goal and dream of becoming an educator. It is my desire to be a servant and to impact the lives of many students. An investment in me will truly change not only my life, but the lives of future children for generations.

Since I was little, I have known I wanted to be a teacher. I always used to go into my mom's kindergarten classroom and pretend I was teaching students. I absolutely adore kids, they always seem to bring a smile on my face, they are funny, smart, cute and even _ at times. I love getting to volunteer with kids and I always stove to make a positive impact in their life. Growing up in school was a struggle for me. I hated school so much, I felt like I wasn't smart and like I was a failure. A few years later I got tested and discovered I have dysgraphia. This diagnosis was extremely hard, I hated having a label on me, I thought that having a learning disability meant I would never flourish in school. I almost gave up, I almost said I'm done with school I will never be able to succeed and push through. If it weren't for my family and a couple teachers who believed in me, I'm not sure I'd be where I am today. These people greatly impacted my life, they encouraged me and stayed by my side even in the nights where it took me hours to do one writing assignment. A few years later I figured out the learning methods that worked best for me, this was a total game changer in my academic success. Now, I have made it to senior year where I have made all as and bs since eighth grade. I'm now a member of show choir, choir, Taffe and national Honors Society. This experience has impacted me significantly, it's made me want to be a teacher and encourage kids. I truly strive to show every kid that they can learn, they are capable of success they just have to learn how they learn. I hope in the future to be able to use my experience and help other kids like me. Starting next fall, I plan on attending Dallas Baptist University and majoring in elementary education with a focus on helping kids with reading-based learning disabilities. It has always been my dream to attend college and as soon as I walked through the doors of DBU my Junior year I knew it was the place for me. Since then, I have been working extremely hard to make this dream come true. I have maintained a 3.8 GPA, made A & B honor roll and had 21 hours of dual credit high school classes. The only thing that now stands in my way is figuring out how to finance college. Due to the death of my father in 2017 when I was just 10 years old my mom’s financial situation has changed a lot. She's taken a full-time public-school teaching job, worked camps in the summer and done extra tutoring just to help us get by and pay for my school activities, I have worked full time in the summers and part time during the school year since I was 16 to help offset costs. I worked as a nanny and also as a daycare provider at Premier Prep School in Keller. Without scholarships like this it will be difficult for me to attend college and obtain my goal and dream of becoming an educator. It is my desire to be a servant and to impact the lives of many students. An investment in me will truly change not only my life, but the lives of future children for generations.

Since I can remember school has been hard for me. When I was younger, I would spend hours working on simple assignments. My handwriting was often illegible. I never quite understood why things were so incredibly difficult for me, I often felt like I wasn't smart, and I would never succeed. It wasn't until I was in fourth grade that I got diagnosed with dysgraphia. This diagnosis allowed me to finally understand what was wrong. Through hard work, a specialized tutor and the support of my family I am proud to say I have received all A's and B's since 7th grade. Since freshman year I have taken multiple honors courses and received over 20 hours of dual credit classes for college. Even though my grades have been exceptional there are still certain things I struggle with however through accommodations and my never quitting attitude I can't wait to start college. I have come so far and worked so hard, and I don't plan on quitting anytime so Around the time I got diagnosed with dysgraphia however another catastrophe happened. When I was just 10 years old my father got diagnosed with stage 4 esophageal cancer. This was so incredibly difficult. It was a very long road and unfortunately only 8 months later he passed away. This put a severe strain on my family emotionally and financially. Since then, my mom has picked up a public-school teaching job, I've gotten many summer jobs, and we have worked so hard to budget for college. My dream is to go to college, and I really hope that this dream can come true. I plan on becoming an elementary school teacher and helping struggling kids just like me. I want to make a difference in their life however to do this It is essential I get scholarships or help funding college. I plan on working so hard to make this dream come true and further my education in order to help kid succeed. The hardest thing I've ever gone through is losing my dad to cancer. At age 10, my dad was my hero, and I truly thought he was invincible. My Dad was fighting Esophageal cancer, an overwhelming enemy, that made even normal eating and drinking fluids become gigantic feats. The devastation of watching him lose strength and become so weak that he couldn't even stand combined with even more emotional and financial strain as he could no longer work, and his benefits were drained. The death of my dad changed life as we knew it financially. We were blessed to have family and friends to help us survive the many transitions. My Dad’s life insurance helped us pay off pending medical and funeral costs. My Mom soon went from teaching in a small private Pre-School program to teaching in a Public School so she could provide for us and our needs. My mom has always been an extremely hard worker and truly she's made so many sacrifices for me. I hope someday I can repay her. She has taught me so much about how to work hard, live within our means, save every time we can, and never give up your dreams. Going to college has been more than just a dream for me. My dream of going to college now relies on me working and getting scholarships. I am striving to get a better education and work towards my life goal of teaching, but it's a task I will need help to accomplish. This scholarship would go a long way to help meet this dream.

Since I was little, I have known I wanted to be a teacher. I always used to go into my mom's kindergarten classroom and pretend I was teaching students. I absolutely adore kids, they always seem to bring a smile on my face, they are funny, smart, cute and even _ at times. I love getting to volunteer with kids and I always stove to make a positive impact in their life. Growing up in school was a struggle for me. I hated school so much, I felt like I wasn't smart and like I was a failure. A few years later I got tested and discovered I have dysgraphia. This diagnosis was extremely hard, I hated having a label on me, I thought that having a learning disability meant I would never flourish in school. I almost gave up, I almost said I'm done with school I will never be able to succeed and push through. If it weren't for my family and a couple teachers who believed in me, I'm not sure I'd be where I am today. These people greatly impacted my life, they encouraged me and stayed by my side even in the nights where it took me hours to do one writing assignment. A few years later I figured out the learning methods that worked best for me, this was a total game changer in my academic success. Now, I have made it to senior year where I have made all as and bs since eighth grade. I'm now a member of show choir, choir, TAFFE and national Honors Society. This experience has impacted me significantly, it's made me want to be a teacher and encourage kids. I truly strive to show every kid that they can learn, they are capable of success they just have to learn how they learn. I hope in the future to be able to use my experience and help other kids like me. My dream is to go to college, and I really hope that this dream can come true. I plan on becoming an elementary school teacher and helping struggling kids just like me. I want to make a difference in their life however to do this It is essential I get scholarships or help funding college. I plan on working so hard to make this dream come true and further my education in order to help kid succeed. I cannot wait to get out there and start making a difference in kids' lives. I hope to be someone they can turn to when they need encouragement, I hope to provide support that they may not get anywhere else, I hope to bring them hope, hope that they can learn, and they will get better and lastly, I hope to help them believe in themselves and lead them to success.

The hardest thing I've ever gone through is losing my dad to cancer. At age 10, my dad was my hero, and I truly thought he was invincible. My Dad was fighting Esophageal cancer, an overwhelming enemy, that made even normal eating and drinking fluids become gigantic feats. The devastation of watching him lose strength and become so weak that he couldn't even stand combined with even more emotional and financial strain as he could no longer work, and his benefits were drained. The death of my dad changed life as we knew it financially. We were blessed to have family and friends to help us survive the many transitions. My Dad’s life insurance helped us pay off pending medical and funeral costs. My Mom soon went from teaching in a small private Pre-School program to teaching in a Public School so she could provide for us and our needs. My mom has always been an extremely hard worker and truly she's made so many sacrifices for me. I hope someday I can repay her. She has taught me so much about how to work hard, live within our means, save every time we can, and never give up your dreams. Going to college has been more than just a dream for me. My Dad did not attend college and so he constantly talked to me about how important it would be for my future. Since I was young, I’ve known I wanted to be a teacher and help students with reading difficulties. My dream of going to college now relies on me working and getting scholarships. I am striving to get a better education and work towards my life goal of teaching, but it's a task I will need help to accomplish. The summer before Junior year I got my first official summer job as a nanny for a family friend. I kept two children each day and worked approximately 40 hours a week. This job was not only a financial boost to help my mom and I, but also a great experience for a future Elementary Teacher. School is sometimes a time-consuming effort as a student with dysgraphia and visual perceptual challenges. Yet I manage during school to work on my studies, perform in the Varsity choir, volunteer with kids, and successfully take dual credit classes to cut some of the college costs. I also babysit for friends and family any time I can. These experiences helped me secure a full-time job this last summer at a daycare called Premier Prep where I completed an 8-hour day working with young children. This job was essential to finish paying for a car and all that comes with that, but also to save up for college. I am a hard worker, and am determined to become a teacher and impact many lives. This scholarship would go a long way to help meet this dream.

My drive to become a teacher came from witnessing my family members change children's lives. Many of the members of my family are educators so I grew up around the classroom a lot. I would always sit on my mom's rug and pretend to be teaching with stuffed animals as my students. I always said I wanted to be a teacher, but it wasn't until I was about 12 that I finally confirmed my calling. It was one of the first times I had volunteered in my mom's kindergarten class. I loved getting to watch my mom interact with the kids, to see them smiling and listening intently. A little bit later my mom pulled reading small groups. Growing up in school was a struggle for me. I hated school so much, I felt like I wasn't smart and like I was a failure. A few years later I got tested and discovered I have dysgraphia. This diagnosis was extremely hard, I hated having a label on me, I thought that having a learning disability meant I would never flourish in school. I almost gave up, I almost said I'm done with school I will never be able to succeed and push through. If it weren't for my family and a couple teachers who believed in me, I'm not sure I'd be where I am today. These people greatly impacted my life, they encouraged me and stayed by my side even in the nights where it took me hours to do one writing assignment. A few years later I figured out the learning methods that worked best for me, this was a total game changer in my academic success. Now, I have made it to senior year where I have made all as and bs since eighth grade. So, when I was intently watching my mom do this, I remembered all the time I was that kid and how hard I worked. I realized that maybe my dyability was a blessing not a curse. maybe I would be able to use my struggles, use my learning disability to help other kids who struggle. Since that moment I've looked up to my mom so much more. Because she too went through a similar story as me. I realized that regardless of what anyone would ever say about being a teacher with a learning disability I was determined to make a difference in kids' lives. This experience has impacted me significantly, it's made me want to be a teacher and encourage kids. I truly strive to show every kid that they can learn, they are capable of success they just have to learn how they learn. I hope in the future to be able to use my experience to help other kids like me.