Daniella F.

I remember being in the sticker section of the grocery store knowing I can’t ask for them because we could not afford a pack of stickers at the time. That was at the age of 5. My family was living off food stamps while my dad was spending our income on his addictions. Ever since then financial worries have consumed my mind.

It was November 2, 2019, my graduating year in high school when addictions took over my dad and he ended his life. My dad had lost any job he acquired and had no life insurance when he died. I remember thinking to myself I’ll never be able to go to school and be happy until someone told me to do the things I had planned on doing before he died because he wouldn’t have wanted me to change my dreams.

Summer of 2020 I really struggled but in silence. I always felt some sort of way with my mom and sister, trying to act as the glue for my family, to help hold us together after everything. With this responsibility, I experienced many setbacks with my mental health. It was as if I could not grieve my dad’s death because I was trying to put on such an act for others, causing myself more harm than good. It took a lot for me to realize how hard things were getting for me, leading me down a dark path. It wasn’t until 2021 that I decided it was best to reach out for additional help and talk to a psychologist since I couldn’t handle all my thoughts on my own.

I truly believe that going through all of this has made me a stronger person and has in fact shown me how much to be thankful for. My dad and I always shared a love for animals and with that, I have had a long-existing dream of becoming a veterinarian. My passion is to help animals since they can’t speak or advocate for themselves.

With adequate life insurance, my sister, brother and I would have been able to have our studies as our focus, without the financial burden that we currently carry. My mom would also be able to work less and have more time to prioritize her needs and retire sooner.

Without life insurance, my family carries around this financial burden. My mom works three jobs, my sister and I work two jobs through summer and one through the school months. I’ve worked ever since I was old enough and was consistent about putting away savings for the school. During the year I work, volunteer, and have student positions on committees. I am nothing but determined and driven to reach my dreams and help my sister with hers as well. Receiving this scholarship would assist me in working fewer hours so I’m able to put more of my focus on school, and finally take a bit of that financial burden I’ve been carrying around for so many years.