Winners For LifeWinners For Life

When it comes to the impact the Winners For Life scholarships make, our recipients say it best!

"I am writing this letter to thank you for the scholarship you have given me. It will help me a lot to get through college. I know I will be able to concentrate more on the actual work and not have to worry about how I am going to pay for college. I can't thank you enough on how much I appreciate this, or tell you how much impact you have made in my life. Thank you."
Winners for Life"Even in my younger years, I have always had a special place in my heart for teachers... so many teachers have shaped the person I have become and I want the opportunity to do that in the best way for other children. At one time in my life, I thought college was an unreachable destination. I had such big dreams of attending college and getting a degree, but I never knew if I would really be able to go. My mother always told me she would do everything in her power and beyond in order for me to go to school, but I knew we didn't have the money. You see, my mom is a single mother and we have been on our own for a little over ten years now, and we have faught so hard for every little thing we have. I know how tough it really is just to be a kid... I know that every little bit can be tremedously helpfu. Receiving this scholarship is letting me live what was once only a dream. You will never know how grateful I am and will always be to you for awarding me the chance to become anything my heart desires. It means so much to know that when I walk into a classroom every day, my mother is so proud of me and my accomplishments. It was always such an important goal for her to get me through college and her drive and determination has seen me through. And now, with your help, it's possible. Every day, I get a step closer to achieving my dream of becoming an elementary school teacher. So if you think about it, the scholarship you so graciously awarded me will in turn also help generations of children that will I teach. Imagine how many lives will be touched by me, partly because of your kindness! Thank you so much for all the opportunities you have given me the chance to experience. All the roads that I must conquer are a little smoother thanks to your help. From the bottom of my heart, I say thank you for everything you have done not only for me, but for my mother as well."
"Receiving the "Winners for Life" Scholarship has set me on the path to fulfill my life long dream. This scholarship has allowed me to attend Grayson County College as a full time student and able to receive one of the most enriched educations I can possibly acquire. If this scholarship was not available to me I would probably be taking a night class here and there and maybe graduate in 2030. My ultimate passion in life is to help young minds grow. I believe that I have the power to touch someone's life and help them become whatever their heart could possibly desire. Whether I am teaching someone in a classroom or guiding someone as a coach - the "Winners For Life" Scholarship has not only given me the chance to become everything that I can imagine to be. It also will touch the lives that I will come in contact with and I will pass on the gift of knowledge. When I was awarded this Scholarship I felt as if my dream could come true. I realized right then as I was called on the stage to accept my award that there is someone else out there that also believes in me too. Having that instilled within you is an uplifting feeling. Knowing that someone else cares can make every difference in the world. My whole life I have been a determined individual and I know that I will make an amazing teacher someday. Giving children a chance just like the "Winners for Life" Scholarship has done for me. Even though I could not express it enough in words, I would like to say once again thank you to Donny Anderson and Linkie Cohn for this opporunity. Together we are creating the future by passing on the most treasured gift of all, an education."
In 1994, after the separation from my brothers and sisters in the adoption, we moved to Gunter. Molested as a child my father was finally taken away in 2000. My mother, tying to sustain our family with hope for the future started work a year later and soon after went to college. Working three days a week and going to school, we are at poverty level. The "Winners for Life" Scholarship... has opened a portal to my path for a greater education. Paying for books that I was not able to afford, this scholarship has aided me when I was in desperate need. The "Winners for Life" Scholarship is truly as it sounds, setting a way so that we may be, winners for life. Having a job that pays only minimum wage, and amother who was also paying for college placed me in a difficult, and even depressing situation. Wondering if I could make it to college, I came across the "Winners for Life" Scholarships. After much calculation and prayer I realized that this was the scholarship for which I needed to apply. After receiving this scholarship I could pay for my tuition. The "Winners for Life" Scholarship, a miracle to some, a blessing to others has led me and other students at Grayson County Community College to further our education, goals, and values. In looking to the future, I am confident I will take the knowledge I have received, and apply it to helping others. Without the "Winners for Life" Scholarship, I might not be at a collegiate level of education. Thank you for helping me achieve one of my goals!"
Winners for Life"Every time I think about my future, I can only smile. This is because of the opportunity I have been given by the "Winners for Life" Scholarship. Throughout my junior and senior year I was constantly struggling with thoughts of my single mother not being able to afford my college career; however, when I received this letter that I had been chosen for this profound scholarship, it not only opened the door to my Nursing career, it opened my eyes to a worry free view about financial stability. I cannot explain to you in words what this scholarship means to not only me, but my family. It is a safety net that has wrapped a future around my tight-knit family, realizing I will be one of the few to graduate from college. It is a step into the door to experiencing my lifelong destiny of being a Registered Nurse and helping those in need. It is a stree free, worry free year of college, which is very much needed because of my vigorous classes. And most of all, it is a relief to my worrying [single] mother, wondering if she will need to take a parttime job in order to pay for all the college expenses. With that said, in my household there is only one source of income. These paychecks go to paying the bills monthly, grocery items and all other necessities. This scholarship is not just another scholarship; it's a step towards my future. In my younger years, I had not a clue as to where my future was leading. I jumped from veterinarian, to police offer, to Equine Therapist, to what I am destined to be - a Registered Nurse. It is my calling and I have my eye set on the goal and without this scholarship, the goal would be vanished. Being the first person to graduate college in my family would be a dream come true. Thank you for this scholarship and thank you for the opportunity to further my education and make a future for myself and my family."