My experience is unique, because my husband Ryan was diagnosed with ALS at the age of 21. We were newly married and both in college. Ryan was strong and healthy so there was no reason to expect anything serious when his legs started twitching on our honeymoon, but when he began tripping and falling a few weeks later, we knew something was really wrong. He was in school to be a lawyer, but had to drop out when it became too difficult for him to get to class. I went from being his new bride, to his full time caregiver. ALS is absolutely devastating, especially for someone who is supposed to have their whole life ahead of them. Together we experienced the challenges that come along with ALS, and we chose to be hopeful. We spent every penny we could on alternative treatments and we joined clinical trials to try to slow the progression of the disease. I researched for hours a day to find anything that would help him. In 2021, we were blessed with a daughter who brought so much joy and hope during a time of immense grief. It was absolutely gutting when Ryan developed pneumonia and passed away in June of 2023 after a 5 year battle with ALS. Although caring for him was exhausting both mentally and physically, it was worth every minute. Ryan's smile could brighten any room and he was a huge strength to everyone around him. We miss him so much! I was widowed at the age of 27 with an 18 month old daughter to raise on my own. I made the decision to go to back to school, because I want to be able to provide a better life for my daughter who lost her daddy way too young. I started graduate school in the fall of 2023, just two months after Ryan passed away. I am studying financial planning and I have a particular interest in estate planning. I plan to be a college professor, which is why I needed to go back for post-graduate education. It is meaningful to me to help other young people understand the importance of creating a solid financial plan and having an estate plan in place, even if you think you won't need it. Ryan did not have life insurance or disability insurance, which would have been so helpful. Those were things we didn't think about at all, because we were both young and healthy. As a full time graduate student and a full time mom, I am working hard to get my feet back under me after going through such an intense trial. We receive a small amount in survivor benefits each month, but that is our only income. I am working hard to be able to turn our financial situation around, but help from scholarships like this would mean the world to me as it would allow me to focus on my school work and my daughter, while also continuing to work through my grief. I plan to give back and want to spend my life helping others learn from the experiences that I have had.

I absolutely love being a mom and I am passionate about my schooling. However, I have found it difficult to juggle all of the challenges of being a full-time single parent and a graduate student. For me, the most challenging part in all of it is knowing how to give my full attention to two important and noble pursuits. I am only one person and can't give 100% of my attention to everything at once, even though I want to. When I am at school, I am thinking about my daughter. When I am with my daughter, I'm thinking about everything I need to be doing for school and trying to figure out how to pay for it. My husband passed away a year ago from ALS, which is a devastating terminal illness. My daughter lost her father and, because of that, it is so important to me to be consistently present in her life. She's dealing with complicated grief of losing her father at such a young age and she needs to know that she is safe, loved, and cared for. One of the best ways I can care for her is by going to school, but that obviously comes with unique difficulties. There are times when I need to work on homework or take a test and I am not able to do certain activities with my daughter because of the demands of school. There are also times when my daughter is sick and I have had to put off my schoolwork in order to care for her. I once recorded a video for one of my classes with my sick daughter on my lap the entire time, because she had been throwing up all day and she couldn't be left alone or with a babysitter. There have also been times when my daughter can be heard singing in the background my presentations for class. Fortunately, my classemates and professors have been kind and understanding. I can look back and smile at those experiences, because I know that I am doing my best to provide a better future for my daughter. Getting a good education is both a noble pursuit and also a dream of mine. By showing my daugher that we can rise above our challenges in life, I know she will be set up to succeed in the world and make a difference. I am studying financial planning with the goal of helping other young people prepare for unexpected situations like I experienced. Life doesn't seem to turn out how we expect and I know I can make a difference in people's lives by drawing on my own personal experiences as a caregiver, a widow, and a single mother. This scholarship would mean so much to me as I am working hard to get through school to be able to provide for myself and my daughter. Figuring out how to pay for school is another challenge for a single mom and getting a scholarship like this would make a huge difference. It would allow me to get through school faster and be able to focus on my studies. It would take a weight off my shoulders and allow me to be there for my daughter in a time that she needs me the most.

I'm in a unique position in life right now as I have come to know intimately the generosity of others. Shortly after we were married, my husband was diangosed with ALS, which is a devastating terminal illness. As the illness began taking over his body, I desperately needed help to take care of him. His care became impossible to do on my own and I became deeply aware of the goodness of others. People from all over came to my aid both physically and financially. It has been a year since my husband passed away, but I will never forget the newlywed couple who came to my door with an envelope of money, or the woman who came once a week to rub my husband's feet, or the friend who called me every day to check on me. There were fundraisers for us, choirs who came to sing for us at Christmas, people who brought meals, gave hugs, took my husband to appointments, donated equipment etc. My life has been forever changed by this experience and I have learned to have an attitude of generosity to give back to my community. Although my financial situation is not such that I can currently give money to those in need, I am constantly looking for opportunities to serve. I have gotten involved with the ALS community and have joined an organization called IamALS that helps people all over the world who are battling ALS. I have spent hours in meetings with congressmen to work on changing legislation for people with ALS and other disabilities. I'm working on a free resource for people who are newly diagnosed with ALS to be able to learn more about the equipment and medical resources available to those with the disease. I plan to work with the ALS community in the future through fundraising, providing information and resources, and giving back with my time and money. I am also consistently involved in service in my own community as well as having dedicated 18 months of my life to full time service in Peru. I paid my own way and spent a year and a half in southern Peru doing religious and humanitarian service. I currently serve with children in my local community and volunteer my time teaching them music each week. I know that there is so much more I can do and I am commited to an attitute of gratitude and generosity for the rest of my life, because I have been blessed so greatly by the generosity of others. I'm particularly interested in helping the ALS community, because the disease has affected my life in such a profound way. I can help others with compassion and empathy since I have walked that path and know how heartbreaking it is to watch your loved one go through such a horrible disease.

I love this question! It can be so difficult to prioritize mental health as a student and a full-time single mama. After my husband passed away last year, the weight of caring for my toddler alone became very heavy. I recognized that my health has been on the back burner. During this time, I've found that there is so much about life that I can’t control and it all starts to get really overwhelming. Going to school while grieving the loss of my husband has been a real challenge for my mental health. It is hard to show up each day when I am feeling so down. School is such a blessing and I want to do my best in my studies. It is also important for me to be there for my daughter and show her that we can be resilient. The four techniques that I have been focusing on to reset myself when life is overwhelming are: sleep, exercise, therapy, and connecting spiritually. Sleep is so important for our bodies to reset and recharge. I find that I am more resilient when I prioritize getting a full night’s rest. It’s a simple, but powerful way to show respect to my body and feel rejuvenated physically, mentally, and emotionally. I can handle life so much better when I am rested. It’s not always possible to sleep through the night with a toddler who wakes up crying in the night, so I’m also learning to give myself grace and rest when I can. I’ve always been active, but I’ve found that now, more than ever, I need to make time to exercise daily. Not only does exercise help my physical body, but it has been so good for my mental health. Getting my blood pumping helps clear my brain and I’m able to process my emotions much better. It’s also just nice to challenge myself and watch how I am getting stronger each day. Exercising is something that I can control. I love to show my daughter that it’s important to move our bodies and she likes to join me during workouts. I can't talk about my mental health without recognizing the benefits of therapy. My therapist has given me tools and skills to handle my anxiety and depression as well as ways to work through my grief. Therapy has been so healing for me and it is a major part of making my mental health a priority. Lastly, connecting spiritually is an important part of my life and has been the biggest help for me through this challenging and overwhelming time. Daily prayer and scripture study help me to refocus my life and I’m able to find power and strength beyond my own. Weekly church attendance helps me to find community and gives me relief from the worries of the week. In my religion, we also worship in temples. It’s hard to have time to attend the temple without my daughter, but when I am able to go, I always feel empowered and strengthened. I’ve also been finding help through meditation that connects me to my higher self. As a graduate student and single mom to a little girl, I don’t have a lot of time to take care of myself, but I know that I am a better mom and person when I prioritize sleep, exercise, therapy, and spirituality. I hope that my daughter sees my example and is proud of her mama even through my shortcomings.

I’ve always known that I wanted to work in the financial education space, but my life’s goals and mission became more clear to me when tragedy struck my family's life. Shortly after we were married in 2018, my husband was unexpectedly diagnosed with ALS, a debilitating terminal illness with no cure or treatment options. We were both young college students with no money and our lives were completely turned upside down when he became confined to a wheelchair, couldn't talk or eat and was unable to go to school or work. He had no disability/life insurance and was not able to obtain any after such a serious diagnosis. We had no idea he would be affected by such a serious illness so young and we were not adequately prepared financially, mentally, or physically. I finished school and began working while I cared for him and our daughter who joined us in 2021. As the breadwinner and primary caregiver, I faced the challenges of watching his body decline while striving to help him and my daughter feel loved and valued. We faced unimaginable challenges and difficulties together. My sweet husband passed away in June 2023 and I have been experiencing just how complicated it is to get affairs in order after the passing of a loved one. Although he did not have many assets, I’ve still found it difficult to make so many financial decisions while facing such immense grief. While I would enjoy helping people in a variety of financial settings, I feel that my experiences and perspective could be used to benefit others in the financial planning and estate planning process. I am particularly interested in working with young people who likely have not thought about creating a solid financial plan, let alone an estate plan. I know that it’s common at my age to not want to or feel the need to create an estate plan. Drawing on personal experiences, I feel that I can help educate others about the peace of mind that comes with having a clear financial plan and estate plan at any age. While I hope that others don’t have to experience what I went through, I know that life can throw curveballs and having a plan for those unexpected events can make a big difference. I plan to work in this space in the community, but my ultimate goal is to teach finance and estate planning at the university level as a professor. I’m seeking a post-graduate education to further my knowledge and skills in the family financial planning field to better achieve my goal of helping young people understand and develop financial and estate plans. As a single mom to an adorable 2-year-old girl, we have so much uncertainty ahead of us, but I want to use our experiences to help other people. I want to show my daughter that we can rise above our challenges and serve others along the way. It is also important for me to show my daughter that hard work and dedication pays off. It's challenging navigating being a single mother, but I know that my daughter will be able to do great things because she gets to see her mom showing up everyday. She deserves the world and I want to be able to give it to her. Going to school full time as a working mom has not been easy, but I do it for her. She is my reason to keep going.

I’ve always known that I wanted to work in the financial education space, but my life’s goals and mission became more clear to me when tragedy struck my family's life. Shortly after we were married in 2018, my husband was unexpectedly diagnosed with ALS, a debilitating terminal illness with no cure or treatment options. We were both young college students with no money and our lives were completely turned upside down when he became confined to a wheelchair, couldn't talk or eat and was unable to go to school or work. He had no disability/life insurance and was not able to obtain any after such a serious diagnosis. We had no idea he would be affected by such a serious illness so young and we were not adequately prepared financially, mentally, or physically. I finished school and began working while I cared for him and our daughter who joined us in 2021. Fortunately, we had a lot of family who were able to help us, but things were difficult. As the breadwinner and primary caregiver, I faced the challenges of watching his body decline while striving to help him and my daughter feel loved and valued. We faced unimaginable challenges and difficulties together. My sweet husband passed away in June 2023 and I have been experiencing just how complicated it is to get affairs in order after the passing of a loved one. Although he did not have many assets, I’ve still found it difficult to make so many financial decisions while facing such immense grief. I’ve often thought that it would be so helpful to have someone guiding me through the estate planning and settlement process and I wish that we had created an estate plan before his illness started. While I would enjoy helping people in a variety of financial settings, I feel that my experiences and perspective could be used to benefit others in the financial planning and estate planning process. I am particularly interested in working with young people who likely have not thought about creating a solid financial plan, let alone an estate plan. I know that it’s common at my age to not want to or feel the need to create an estate plan. Drawing on personal experiences, I feel that I can help educate others about the peace of mind that comes with having a clear financial plan and estate plan at any age. While I hope that others don’t have to experience what I went through, I know that life can throw curveballs and having a plan for those unexpected events can make a big difference. I plan to work in this space in the community, but my ultimate goal is to teach finance and estate planning at the university level as a professor. I’m seeking a post-graduate education to further my knowledge and skills in the family financial planning field to better achieve my goal of helping young people understand and develop financial and estate plans. As a single mom to an adorable 2-year-old girl, we have so much uncertainty ahead of us, but I want to use our experiences to help other people. I want to show my daughter that we can rise above our challenges and use our experiences to serve others. It is also important for me to show my daughter that hard work and dedication pays off. It's challenging navigating being a single mother, but I know that my daughter will be able to do great things because she gets to see her mom showing up everyday.

My name is Rachel. I’m a 27-year-old single mama to a 2-year-old girl. My story starts in college when I met the love of my life, Ryan. We met at an activity while attending USU and we fell in love very quickly. We got married in September 2018. I was finishing up my bachelor’s degree in family finance and Ryan was studying pre-law in preparation for law school. We talked often about our hopes and dreams for the future, and we were really excited! On our honeymoon, we noticed that Ryan’s leg was twitching, which we attributed to the stress of the wedding. The twitching didn’t go away and eventually spread to other parts of his body. We knew it was serious when he started experiencing weakness in his legs and was tripping and falling. He was athletic and was preparing to try out for the Utah State soccer team so it didn’t make sense that he was experiencing such alarming health issues. After visiting many specialists, running many tests and experiencing failed treatments, he was diagnosed with ALS, a terminal neurodegenerative disease for which there is no cure and no treatments. He was the youngest ALS patient the neurologist had ever seen. We were devastated. There’s no way to really describe the grief and fear we faced. Ryan had to quit working and drop out of school when the weakness started making it difficult to care for himself. I was able to finish my degree, but could only work part-time from home, because he started needing constant care. Ryan eventually became totally paralyzed, except for his eyes. He lost the ability to swallow and speak and depended on me for everything. Many people came forward to help us through an immensely difficult time. Despite all of our trials, we had a lot of fun together and made a lot of memories. We were blessed with a miracle baby girl in 2021 who is an absolute joy. Ryan couldn’t pick her up, but he was able to give her rides on his wheelchair and she loved to tickle his toes. In June of this year, Ryan was hospitalized. After a difficult hospital stay, he was able to come home with us for a few days, but the time at the hospital weakened his lungs and he wasn’t able to fight off pneumonia that developed. After he passed away, I knew that I needed to find a way to support myself and my daughter while doing something meaningful. I have always wanted to get a Master’s degree, because my dream is to teach financial planning classes at a university and I need to have a graduate degree to do that. I have learned so much through my experiences and feel that I can help other young people with their finances so that they can be more prepared than we were. I'm loving my program so far. I can’t share my story without recognizing the amount of help we have received over the years. We never expected to be in a situation where we needed so much help, but I am so grateful that people have supported us through all of this. I plan to spend my life making a difference for others. I try to be generous where I can, knowing that someday I will be able to give more. I’m seeking scholarship help, so that I can focus on doing well in school and caring for my daughter, while navigating grief and finding our new normal. Thank you so much for considering me for this opportunity.

My experience is unique, because my husband Ryan was diagnosed with ALS at the age of 21. We were newly married and both in college. Ryan was strong and healthy so there was no reason to expect anything serious when his legs started twitching on our honeymoon, but when he began tripping and falling a few weeks later, we knew something was really wrong. He was in school to be a lawyer, but had to drop out when it became too difficult for him to get to class. I went from being his new bride, to his full time caregiver. ALS is absolutely devastating, especially for someone who is supposed to have their whole life ahead of them. Together we experienced the challenges that come along with ALS, and we chose to be hopeful. We spent every penny we could on alternative treatments and we joined clinical trials to try to slow the progression of the disease. I researched for hours a day to find anything that would help him. In 2021, we were blessed with a daughter who brought so much joy and hope during a time of immense grief. It was absolutely gutting when Ryan developed pneumonia and passed away in June of 2023 after a 5 year battle with ALS. Although caring for him was exhausting both mentally and physically, it was worth every minute. Ryan's smile could brighten any room and he was a huge strength to everyone around him. We miss him so much! I was widowed at the age of 27 with an 18 month old daughter to raise on my own. I made the decision to go to back to school, because I want to be able to provide a better life for my daughter who lost her daddy way too young. I started graduate school in the fall of 2023, just two months after Ryan passed away. I am studying financial planning and I have a particular interest in estate planning. I plan to be a college professor, which is why I needed to go back for post-graduate education. It is meaningful to me to help other young people understand the importance of creating a solid financial plan and having an estate plan in place, even if you think you won't need it. Ryan did not have life insurance or disability insurance, which would have been so helpful. Those were things we didn't think about at all, because we were both young and healthy. As a full time graduate student and a full time mom, I am working hard to get my feet back under me after going through such an intense trial. We receive a small amount in survivor benefits each month, but that is our only income. I am working hard to be able to turn our financial situation around, but help from scholarships like this would mean the world to me as it would allow me to focus on my school work and my daughter, while also continuing to work through my grief. I plan to give back and want to spend my life helping others learn from the experiences that I have had.

I love this question! It can be so difficult to prioritize self care as a full-time single mama. After my husband passed away earlier this year, the weight of caring for my toddler alone became very heavy. I recognized that my health has been on the back burner. During this time, I've found that there is so much about life that I can’t control and it all starts to get really overwhelming. All we can do is focus on what we can control. The three techniques that I have been focusing on to reset myself when life is overwhelming are: sleep, exercise, and connecting spiritually. Sleep is so important for our bodies to reset and recharge. I find that I am more resilient when I prioritize getting a full night’s rest. It’s a simple, but powerful way to show respect to my body and feel rejuvenated physically, mentally, and emotionally. I can handle life so much better when I am rested. It’s not always possible to sleep through the night with a toddler who wakes up crying in the night, so I’m also learning to give myself grace and rest when I can. I’ve always been active, but I’ve found that now, more than ever, I need to make time to exercise daily. Not only does exercise help my physical body, but it has been so good for my mental health. Getting my blood pumping helps clear my brain and I’m able to process my emotions much better. It’s also just nice to challenge myself and watch how I am getting stronger each day. Exercising is something that I can control. I love to show my daughter that it’s important to move our bodies and she likes to join me during workouts. Lastly, connecting spiritually is an important part of my life and has been the biggest help for me through this challenging and overwhelming time. Daily prayer and scripture study help me to refocus my life and I’m able to find power and strength beyond my own. Weekly church attendance helps me to find community and gives me relief from the worries of the week. In my religion, we also worship in temples. It’s hard to have time to attend the temple without my daughter, but when I am able to go, I always feel empowered and strengthened. I’ve also been finding help through meditation that connects me to my higher self. As a graduate student and single mom to a little girl, I don’t have a lot of time to take care of myself, but I know that I am a better mom and person when I prioritize sleep, exercise, and spirituality. I hope that my daughter sees my example and is proud of her mama even through my shortcomings.

I’ve always known that I wanted to work in the financial education space, but my life’s goals and mission became more clear to me when tragedy struck my family's life. Shortly after we were married in 2018, my husband was unexpectedly diagnosed with ALS, a debilitating terminal illness with no cure or treatment options. We were both young college students with no money and our lives were completely turned upside down when he became confined to a wheelchair, couldn't talk or eat and was unable to go to school or work. He had no disability/life insurance and was not able to obtain any after such a serious diagnosis. We had no idea he would be affected by such a serious illness so young and we were not adequately prepared financially, mentally, or physically. He was only 21 when his symptoms started. I finished school and began working while I cared for him and our daughter who joined us in 2021. Fortunately, we had a lot of family who were able to help us, but things were difficult. As the breadwinner and primary caregiver, I faced the challenges of watching his body decline while striving to help him feel loved and valued. We were newlyweds and faced unimaginable challenges and difficulties together. My beloved husband passed away in June 2023 and I have been experiencing just how complicated it is to get affairs in order after the passing of a loved one. Although he did not have many assets, I’ve still found it difficult to make so many financial decisions while facing such immense grief. I’ve often thought that it would be so helpful to have someone guiding me through the estate planning and settlement process and I wish that we had created an estate plan before his illness started. While I would enjoy helping people in a variety of financial settings, I feel that my experiences and perspective could be used to benefit others in the financial planning and estate planning process. I am particularly interested in working with young people who likely have not thought about creating a solid financial plan, let alone an estate plan. I know that it’s common at my age to not want to or feel the need to create an estate plan. Drawing on personal experiences, I feel that I can help educate others about the peace of mind that comes with having a clear financial plan and estate plan at any age. While I hope that others don’t have to experience what I went through, I know that life can throw curveballs and having a plan for those unexpected events can make a big difference. I plan to work in this space in the community, but my ultimate goal is to teach finance and estate planning at the university level as a professor. I’m seeking a post-graduate education to further my knowledge and skills in the family financial planning field to better achieve my goal of helping young people understand and develop financial and estate plans. I'll be starting my Master's in August. I'm currently 27 years old and am now a single mom to an adorable 18-month-old girl. We have so much uncertainty ahead of us, but I want to use our experiences to help other people. This scholarship would mean the world to me because ALS has been devastating for our family, but I am seeking to make lemons out of lemonade.

The dream version of my future self makes a difference in people's lives every day by educating them about managing their finances and inspiring them to make smart decisions for their future that can impact generations to come.

I’ve always known that I wanted to work in the financial education space, but my life’s goals and mission became more clear to me when tragedy struck my family's life. Shortly after we were married in 2018, my husband was unexpectedly diagnosed with ALS, a debilitating terminal illness with no cure or treatment options. We were both young college students with no money and our lives were completely turned upside down when he became confined to a wheelchair, couldn't talk or eat and was unable to go to school or work. He had no disability/life insurance and was not able to obtain any after such a serious diagnosis. We had no idea he would be affected by such a serious illness so young and we were not adequately prepared financially, mentally, or physically. He was only 21 when his symptoms started. I finished school and began working while I cared for him and our daughter who joined us in 2021. Fortunately, we had a lot of family who were able to help us, but things were difficult. As the breadwinner and primary caregiver, I faced the challenges of watching his body decline while striving to help him feel loved and valued. We were newlyweds and faced unimaginable challenges and difficulties together. My beloved husband passed away last month and I have been experiencing just how complicated it is to get affairs in order after the passing of a loved one. Although he did not have many assets, I’ve still found it difficult to make so many financial decisions while facing such immense grief. I’ve often thought that it would be so helpful to have someone guiding me through the estate planning and settlement process and I wish that we had created an estate plan before his illness started. While I would enjoy helping people in a variety of financial settings, I feel that my experiences and perspective could be used to benefit others in the financial planning and estate planning process. I am particularly interested in working with young people who likely have not thought about creating a solid financial plan, let alone an estate plan. I know that it’s common at my age to not want to or feel the need to create an estate plan. Drawing on personal experiences, I feel that I can help educate others about the peace of mind that comes with having a clear financial plan and estate plan at any age. While I hope that others don’t have to experience what I went through, I know that life can throw curveballs and having a plan for those unexpected events can make a big difference. I plan to work in this space in the community, but my ultimate goal is to teach finance and estate planning at the university level as a lecturer. I’m seeking a post-graduate education to further my knowledge and skills in the family financial planning field to serve others and create a better life for myself and my daughter. I need to have at least a Master's degree to teach at the university level. I'll be starting my Master's in August. I'm currently 27 years old and am a single mom to an adorable 18-month-old girl. We have so much uncertainty ahead of us, but I want to use our experiences to help others. This scholarship would mean the world to me because ALS has been devastating for our family, and we are just trying to get our feet under us after dealing with such a difficult illness.

I’ve always known that I wanted to work in the financial education space, but my life’s goals and mission became more clear to me when tragedy struck my family's life. Shortly after we were married in 2018, my husband was unexpectedly diagnosed with ALS, a debilitating terminal illness with no cure or treatment options. We were both young college students with no money and our lives were completely turned upside down when he became confined to a wheelchair, couldn't talk or eat and was unable to go to school or work. He had no disability/life insurance and was not able to obtain any after such a serious diagnosis. We had no idea he would be affected by such a serious illness so young and we were not adequately prepared financially, mentally, or physically. He was only 21 when his symptoms started. I finished school and began working while I cared for him and our daughter who joined us in 2021. Fortunately, we had a lot of family who were able to help us, but things were difficult. As the breadwinner and primary caregiver, I faced the challenges of watching his body decline while striving to help him feel loved and valued. We were newlyweds and faced unimaginable challenges and difficulties together. My beloved husband passed away last month and I have been experiencing just how complicated it is to get affairs in order after the passing of a loved one. Although he did not have many assets, I’ve still found it difficult to make so many financial decisions while facing such immense grief. I’ve often thought that it would be so helpful to have someone guiding me through the estate planning and settlement process and I wish that we had created an estate plan before his illness started. While I would enjoy helping people in a variety of financial settings, I feel that my experiences and perspective could be used to benefit others in the financial planning and estate planning process. I am particularly interested in working with young people who likely have not thought about creating a solid financial plan, let alone an estate plan. I know that it’s common at my age to not want to or feel the need to create an estate plan. Drawing on personal experiences, I feel that I can help educate others about the peace of mind that comes with having a clear financial plan and estate plan at any age. While I hope that others don’t have to experience what I went through, I know that life can throw curveballs and having a plan for those unexpected events can make a big difference. I plan to work in this space in the community, but my ultimate goal is to teach finance and estate planning at the university level as a lecturer. I’m seeking a post-graduate education to further my knowledge and skills in the family financial planning field to better achieve my goal of helping young people understand and develop financial and estate plans. I need to have at least a Master's degree to teach at the university level. I'll be starting my Master's in August. I'm currently 27 years old and am now a single mom to an adorable 18-month-old girl. We have so much uncertainty ahead of us, but I want to use our experiences to help other people. This scholarship would mean the world to me because ALS has been devastating for our family, and we are just trying to get our feet under us after dealing with such a difficult illness.

I’ve always known that I wanted to work in the financial education space, but my life’s goals and mission became more clear to me when tragedy struck my family's life. Shortly after we were married in 2018, my husband was unexpectedly diagnosed with ALS, a debilitating terminal illness with no cure or treatment options. We were both young college students with no money and our lives were completely turned upside down when he became confined to a wheelchair, couldn't talk or eat and was unable to go to school or work. He had no disability/life insurance and was not able to obtain any after such a serious diagnosis. We had no idea he would be affected by such a serious illness so young and we were not adequately prepared financially, mentally, or physically. He was only 21 when his symptoms started. I finished school and began working while I cared for him and our daughter who joined us in 2021. Fortunately, we had a lot of family who were able to help us, but things were difficult. As the breadwinner and primary caregiver, I faced the challenges of watching his body decline while striving to help him feel loved and valued. We were newlyweds and faced unimaginable challenges and difficulties together. My beloved husband passed away last month and I have been experiencing just how complicated it is to get affairs in order after the passing of a loved one. Although he did not have many assets, I’ve still found it difficult to make so many financial decisions while facing such immense grief. I’ve often thought that it would be so helpful to have someone guiding me through the estate planning and settlement process and I wish that we had created an estate plan before his illness started. While I would enjoy helping people in a variety of financial settings, I feel that my experiences and perspective could be used to benefit others in the financial planning and estate planning process. I am particularly interested in working with young people who likely have not thought about creating a solid financial plan, let alone an estate plan. I know that it’s common at my age to not want to or feel the need to create an estate plan. Drawing on personal experiences, I feel that I can help educate others about the peace of mind that comes with having a clear financial plan and estate plan at any age. While I hope that others don’t have to experience what I went through, I know that life can throw curveballs and having a plan for those unexpected events can make a big difference. I plan to work in this space in the community, but my ultimate goal is to teach finance and estate planning at the university level as a lecturer. I’m seeking a post-graduate education to further my knowledge and skills in the family financial planning field to better achieve my goal of helping young people understand and develop financial and estate plans. I need to have at least a Master's degree to teach at the university level. I'll be starting my Master's in August. I'm currently 27 years old and am now a single mom to an adorable 18-month-old girl. We have so much uncertainty ahead of us, but I want to use our experiences to help other people. This scholarship would mean the world to me because ALS has been devastating for our family, and we are just trying to get our feet under us after dealing with such a difficult illness.