My plans for the future are shaped by both my personal experiences and my desire to help others who are facing difficult seasons of life. After graduating high school, I plan to attend Oral Roberts University to major in social work. My long-term goal is to become a therapist who walks with people through grief, trauma, and major life transitions. I want to provide the kind of support I once needed but did not always have. My dream is not only to build a career that helps others heal, but also to become a first-generation college graduate, something that would mean more to me and my family than words can express. My passion for social work began the moment my life changed forever. When my mom passed away from a sudden seizure, everything in my world collapsed. I was young, confused, and hurting, and our family struggled deeply in the months and years that followed. Losing my mom did not just leave an emotional gap. It also created financial and relational instability that we are still working through today. That experience is what later inspired my love for serving others in my church and community. It also taught me how important it is for people to have someone who listens, understands, and supports them during the hardest moments of their lives. Becoming a therapist is my way of turning my pain into purpose. This scholarship is extremely important to me because my family is not able to financially support my college education. After my mom’s passing, our household went through years of instability, both emotionally and financially. My parents have accumulated significant debt, and with multiple siblings also preparing for college, there is simply no way for them to help me pay for school. At seventeen, I already pay for all my daily essentials, including gas, clothing, hygiene products, and personal expenses. I have learned how to budget, work hard, and handle responsibilities most people my age have never had to face. Even though I am proud of my independence, it has also created pressure that makes paying for college feel overwhelming. This scholarship would lift a tremendous weight off my shoulders. Instead of worrying about how I will cover tuition, textbooks, housing, and all the costs that come with earning a degree, I could focus more on my academics, faith, and service. It would bring me one step closer to becoming the first person in my family to earn a college degree, an achievement that would honor everything I have overcome and show my younger siblings what is possible. Most importantly, this scholarship would help me live out my calling. I want to step into a career where I can pour hope into others who feel broken or alone. I want to be the kind of therapist who sees people the way God sees them and helps them find strength in their stories. With your support, I can move forward with confidence, pursue my education at Oral Roberts University, and continue growing into the person I feel God created me to be. This scholarship would not only help me financially. It would help me build a future dedicated to healing, service, and compassion.

The movie that has had the greatest impact on my life is Wonder. Although it tells the story of a young boy named Auggie who was born with facial differences, the message reaches far beyond his physical appearance. Wonder is a film about kindness, resilience, compassion, and the quiet battles people carry with them every day. These themes have influenced the way I see others, the way I serve, and the way I live out my faith. What stood out to me most about Wonder is the honest way it portrays the challenges of being different. Auggie faces bullying, rejection, and moments when he questions his own worth. Watching his journey reminded me that every person has struggles that may not be visible. This message became especially meaningful in my own life after losing my mom at a young age. That experience marked me deeply and forced me to grow up sooner than most people my age. Even though others could not always see the pain I carried, it shaped my heart and the way I moved through the world. Auggie’s challenges helped me feel understood in my own silent battles. The movie also taught me about courage. Auggie walks into school each day knowing he may be judged or misunderstood, yet he keeps trying. His bravery inspires me in the areas of my life that require honesty and vulnerability, such as leading my middle school girls small group at church, sharing my testimony, or serving people who depend on me. Every time I speak about my faith or open up about my past, I think of the courage it takes to be real. Wonder showed me that courage is not the absence of fear. It is choosing to move forward even when fear is present. Another powerful message from the film is the importance of kindness. This idea guides the way I try to live every day through my church involvement and my community service. Whether I am organizing food drives, cleaning elderly neighbors’ yards, volunteering at the Regional Food Bank, or writing encouraging notes for outreach projects, I try to treat every person with compassion. In the movie, Auggie’s teacher tells the students, “If you have a choice between being right and being kind, choose kind.” That message stays with me and influences how I interact with the girls in my youth group, with my friends, and with the people I serve. Most importantly, Wonder taught me that every person deserves to be seen, valued, and understood. This lesson has shaped my desire to mentor and support others. When I lead my small group, I try to make each girl feel known and cared for, just as Auggie felt when someone finally looked beyond his differences. When I share my faith, I do so with empathy, remembering that every person’s story is filled with experiences I may never fully know. Wonder did more than move me emotionally. It made me more compassionate, more courageous, and more intentional about the way I treat people. It encouraged me to live out my faith through actions that reflect God’s love. For these reasons, Wonder is the movie that has had the greatest impact on my life.

Throughout high school, speech and debate have been one of the most transformative activities in my life, second only to the impact my church community has had on me. When I first joined the team, I thought it would simply help me become a stronger speaker. I had no idea that it would ultimately equip me to share my Christian faith with clarity, compassion, and confidence. Speech and debate taught me how to articulate my thoughts under pressure, organize ideas quickly, and communicate in a way that truly connects with an audience. These skills have directly shaped the way I lead, serve, and share the Gospel in my everyday life. In debate rounds, I learned how to understand opposing viewpoints and respond respectfully, without becoming defensive. This has prepared me to have faith conversations with people who think differently than I do, conversations where listening matters just as much as speaking. In speech events, I learned how to deliver messages with purpose, emotion, and authenticity. Crafting speeches that were personal, persuasive, and meaningful helped me realize that sharing my faith isn’t about winning an argument; it’s about communicating truth with sincerity and love. Whether I’m speaking in a church setting, talking to a friend who is struggling, or leading my middle school small group, these skills help me explain what I believe and why I believe it in a way that is approachable and real. My service in the church has been the place where these skills have shown their greatest impact. Serving on host teams and greeting teams taught me how to make others feel welcome, but speech and debate strengthened my ability to connect with them beyond a simple hello. When I lead my middle school girls small group, I rely on the communication skills debate taught me, how to break down big ideas, how to explain Scripture in relatable ways, and how to create space for honest conversations. These girls often come with tough questions about faith, identity, and life, and thanks to my debate background, I’m able to guide discussions with patience, clarity, and empathy. Outside the church, my volunteer work has also benefited from these skills. Whether organizing service projects, coordinating groups for the Regional Food Bank, or leading community outreach efforts, strong communication is essential. Speech and debate taught me how to lead confidently, inspire others to get involved, and share the heart behind what we are doing, showing Christ’s love through action and words. My journey hasn’t been without hardship. Losing my mom at a young age shook my world and challenged my faith deeply. But it also gave me a testimony that I can share with others, especially those who are grieving or questioning God. Debate helped me learn how to tell my story with both vulnerability and strength, using it not as a source of bitterness but as a way to point others toward hope. Speech and debate didn’t just make me a better speaker; it made me a more intentional follower of Christ. It prepared me to communicate the Gospel boldly yet graciously, to lead with confidence, and to love people well through the way I speak and serve. These are skills I will carry with me into college, my church, and every opportunity God places in front of me.

My name is Kelsey Kudrna, and service has been at the center of my life for as long as I can remember. I attend Mustang Life.Church, a place that has shaped my character, strengthened my faith, and given me countless opportunities to lead. I began serving in 2022 on the hospitality and greeting teams, welcoming people, setting up events, and helping create a warm environment for anyone who walked through the doors. In 2025, I stepped into one of the most meaningful roles I’ve ever held, leading a middle school girls' small group. Walking with these students each week, discipling them, studying Scripture together, and being someone they can trust has taught me what true leadership looks like: showing up, listening, and loving people consistently. My commitment to service extends far beyond the church. Over the past four years, I’ve volunteered for the Regional Food Bank, raised money to fund sandwich-making, and distributions for people experiencing homelessness. I’ve led friends in cleaning elderly neighbors’ yards for free, hosted canned food, diaper, and women’s hygiene drives, and coordinated park clean-up days to keep our community beautiful. I even organized outreach teams who placed handwritten, encouraging notes with Gospel messages on parked cars, simply to brighten someone’s day. Each of these experiences has reinforced something I’ve learned over and over again: when you pour your time and heart into serving others, you often receive more than you give. Outside of volunteering, staying active and spending time with friends are two things that ground me. I played softball for over a decade, and although injuries and burnout eventually caused me to step away, the sport taught me discipline, perseverance, and mental toughness. Today, I find joy in running and working out, activities that keep me motivated and help me process my thoughts. I’m an extrovert at heart, and my friends are a strong source of accountability and support in my life. Many of these relationships were built in church, a place where I’ve learned to be honest, vulnerable, and emotionally open. My resilience was shaped by one of the hardest moments of my life: losing my mom to a sudden seizure when I was young. At the time, I couldn’t understand why such a tragedy had happened. As I’ve grown, I’ve come to see how that loss strengthened my faith and character. It pushed me to rely on God, to grow in empathy, and to live with purpose. If I could start my own charity, it would be a mentorship-based organization for middle school girls who are navigating grief or major life transitions. My mission would be to provide emotional support, practical resources, and faith-centered guidance to help them feel seen, loved, and capable. Volunteers would lead small groups, host community service outings, deliver care packages to families facing loss, and serve as consistent, positive role models—something I know firsthand can change a young person’s life. I would be honored to receive this scholarship. As I prepare for college, I am responsible for covering my own educational costs, and with my family facing financial instability, this support would make a significant difference. It would allow me to pursue my education while continuing to lead, serve, and live out my faith with dedication and gratitude.

My name is Kelsey Kudrna, and my life has been shaped by both deep loss and powerful resilience. I grew up in a loving and ordinary household until I was eight years old. During one of my softball games, my mom suddenly had a seizure in the dugout and was rushed to the hospital. The doctors did everything they could, but the next day she was pronounced brain dead. My dad faced an unimaginable decision. He had to choose between keeping her on a ventilator or honoring what she would have wanted. He chose to let her go, and on April 23, 2017, my mom passed away. Losing her changed my family forever. Later, when my dad remarried, our family grew again. I originally had two sisters, and through my stepmom I gained a stepsister and a stepbrother. With several of us in school and my parents managing long term debt, I have learned to support myself by working to cover my essentials, gas, and car payments. I will also be responsible for my college expenses. Although this has been challenging, it has taught me independence, responsibility, and the value of persistence. One thing that has always stayed with me is my mom’s dream of hosting a foster child. I hope to honor that dream one day once I am older and able to provide a stable home. For now, I plan to pursue a degree in social work so I can begin making a positive impact on children and teens who need support. I am especially passionate about helping teenage girls, who are often overlooked in the foster care system. Younger children tend to be placed more quickly, while teens often experience more instability and fewer opportunities. My long term goal is to create a youth group for teens. At first I would like it to focus on girls, and eventually I would like it to serve both boys and girls between the ages of thirteen and eighteen. I want to build a space where young people feel safe, supported, and valued. Through a career in social work and through programs I hope to create in the future, I want to help teens understand their worth, find their confidence, and see possibilities for their future. In everything I do, I hope to carry forward my mom’s compassion and make a meaningful difference in the lives of young people who need someone to believe in them.

Hello, my name is Kelsey Kudrna. I grew up in a normal household until I was eight years old. During one of my softball games, my mom suddenly had a seizure in the dugout and was rushed to the hospital. The doctors did everything they could, but the next day she was pronounced brain dead. My dad had to make the unimaginable choice between keeping her on the ventilator or honoring what she would have wanted, which was to let her go. He made that decision, and on April 23, 2017, my mom passed away. After she died, I stayed out of school for a long time. When I finally returned, everything felt different. People stared at me, and I became known as the girl with the dead mom or the girl who watched her mom die. Even the friends I had trusted made fun of me for not having a mom. I was only in third grade, yet I learned very quickly how cruel people could be. Because of that experience, I have always had a deep dislike for bullying and the damage it does. As I got older, I began attending Life Church. Through this community, I have had many opportunities to speak on stage and share my story. I talk about bullying, how it affects people, and how important kindness is. I always support people who are bullied because I know exactly how it feels. I even check on kids who bully others, because I believe most of the time they are hurting in ways no one can see. My approach to bullying is simple. I choose kindness. I believe that everyone has something going on in their personal life that others may not know about, so kindness can make a difference in ways we do not always realize. My family changed again when my dad remarried. I originally had two sisters, and I gained a stepsister and a stepbrother through my stepmom. My parents have been in debt for many years, so I have had to get a job to pay for my essentials, my gas, and my car payment. They are not able to help pay for my college, and I will have to cover those expenses on my own. My stepbrother and my sister are also in college, so even if my parents wanted to help, they would not be able to. As I enter higher education, I know I have a financial need, but I also know that my experiences have made me stronger. I am committed to supporting my community, protecting kids and youth from bullying in person and online, and continuing to use my story to help others feel less alone.