Hi, my name is Mallory Smith. I am graduating this month with Summa Cum Laude honors from Ivy Tech Community College and Elkhart High School as a dual-enrollment student. I am a member of the National Honor Society and a first-generation college student. As a first-generation college student, I am proud to be a trailblazer for my family and an inspiration for my younger sister as well. My parents have always instilled in me the importance of education and earning a college degree is something that I have strived for my entire life. In 2018 when I was 10 years old, my parents divorced after a long, tumultuous marriage. Then in 2019, my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer. It was an aggressive form, HER2 positive. She was 39 years old and a single mom, raising two kids and working a full-time job. She had to start chemotherapy immediately after the biopsy confirmed cancer. Cancer is a terrifying word, especially when you are young. I was eleven and my sister was seven years old. Our world was just turned upside down with the divorce, and now we were scared of losing our mom forever. She had always been an active and hardworking woman, but the chemo treatments left her sick, with little energy. I had to step up and help with many things around the house, including caring for my younger sister. To say that this was a difficult time is an understatement, but we managed to get through it by leaning on our faith and with the help of others. Members of our church would bring us meals so she didn't have to cook. A local charity helped contribute to some of her treatment costs. After six rounds of chemotherapy, she had a bilateral mastectomy and reconstructive surgery. The support and love that others showed us during this time was remarkable. By the grace of God, she is in remission now and has been cancer-free for seven years! Three years ago, in 2023, cancer struck our family again. My grandfather was diagnosed with vocal cord cancer and my great-grandfather was diagnosed with prostate cancer. My grandfather is in remission after many painful radiation treatments that left his neck red and raw. Sadly, my great-grandfather lost his battle after a long and courageous fight. Throughout this experience, I have learned that a positive attitude is a virtue. It affects not only your health, but the lives of those around you. The cost of my mom's treatments and surgeries has been expensive, and I don't want my educational goals to create a further financial burden on our family. We don't qualify for federal grants and the financial aid package that I was offered was minimal. I plan to attend Indiana University-Indianapolis in the fall. I am passionate about working in the healthcare industry and making a difference in the lives of people. That is why this scholarship is important for helping me reach my educational goals. Thank you for your consideration.

Hi, my name is Mallory Smith. I am graduating this month with Summa Cum Laude honors from Ivy Tech Community College and Elkhart High School as a dual-enrollment student. I am a member of the National Honor Society and a first-generation college student. During this past year, I have volunteered as a tutor for elementary students in my school community. I have also volunteered at a local animal shelter called Here Kitty Kitty. Several years ago, my family adopted two kittens from this rescue organization, and I wanted to give back to support the work they do in our community. I spent time there cleaning the floors and litter boxes and caring for the cats. My favorite part was socializing the kittens, which meant just playing with them and holding them. I plan to study Dental Hygiene at Indiana University-Indianapolis in the fall. I am passionate about working in the healthcare industry and making a difference in the lives of people. I am a driven and hard-working individual and I am excited to begin this next phase of my education. As a first-generation college student, I am proud to be a trailblazer for my family and an inspiration for my younger sister as well. My parents have always instilled in me the importance of education and earning a college degree is something that I have strived for my entire life. They have given me the foundation to be successful. My parents have always been my biggest supporters. From dance and gymnastic lessons as a young child, to playing a multitude of sports during my school years, I have always maintained excellent grades. I played volleyball throughout high school on my high school team, as well as at the club level. I did semi-travel volleyball and loved it. Sports played an important part of who I am today. I have built lasting relationships with teammates and coaches. Being part of a team taught me how to work well with others, problem-solving, leadership and time-management skills, and I want to help other young children learn these same skills as a volunteer coach or aide in the future. I know that the degree I plan to pursue will be expensive for me and my family. We don't qualify for federal grants and the financial aid package that I was offered was minimal. That is why this scholarship is so important. I've known people whose dreams of a college degree have been derailed due to the costs associated with college. I sincerely appreciate your consideration for this scholarship.