Zander Life Lessons: 2019 Scholarship Winner
Taylor was 11 years old when she lost both of her parents. On top of the emotional trauma she was faced with, the financial burden of losing both a mother and father at such a young age soon began to weigh on Taylor. “Their deaths hurt me worse than anything ever could,” she said, “I gave up any dreams I had for my future.” Neither parent had life insurance.
“It’s really important to get life insurance.”
Grieving the loss of a loved one is hard enough without the added feelings of hopelessness and anxiety that come with having no way to pay for things like college, which has gone up in cost by 213% over the past 30 years1. Life insurance helps provide financial security and peace of mind to your family if something happens to you. “It’s really important to get life insurance,” Taylor said. “It can have a big impact on your family’s life.” But far too often, individuals do not purchase a policy before tragedy strikes. That is why, for five consecutive years, we have offered the Zander Life Lessons Scholarship to college students and college-bound seniors whose parent or guardian passed away with little or no life insurance. Applicants submit their scholarship application via an essay or video, and Zander team members review each submission and cast their votes. This year, Taylor’s submission received the most votes.
“I wasn’t given the experiences I’ve been through not to do anything with them.”
Last month, Taylor started her freshman year at Maryville College, where she is studying psychology. “I wasn’t given the experiences I’ve been through not to do anything with them,” Taylor said. “I want to use what I’ve gone through to help heal others.” Taylor was inspired by her own experiences to help provide a better life for others who are suffering. She hopes to become a therapist to help people suffering from mental illness, substance abuse, and trauma. “This scholarship will help support these dreams,” she said.
The Life Happens scholarship program awarded over $200,000 in scholarship money last year alone. “Our scholarship recipients and their stories remind us of the critical role life insurance plays in providing financial security to help families’ future dreams become a reality,” said Life Happens CEO Marvin H. Feldman.
This Life Insurance Awareness Month, we would like to congratulate Taylor on her resilience in following her dreams – we wish you success, and are humbled to play any role we can in helping you achieve it! We also want to do our part to spread the word about how purchasing a life insurance policy could save your family financial hardship. Please help us spread the word about life insurance by sharing this blog with family and friends, or protect your own family by getting a free quote at the link below.