We’d like to do a flashback Friday recognizing our four past scholarship recipients! Thank you to all our supporters for making it possible to provide scholarships to students who have lost a parent to substance abuse.

2019 Recipient: Alexandra Tulowiecki, Syracuse University

Quote from Alexandra’s essay: “There was no easy way to cope with the loss of both of my parents within four years, but I was able to get through this time with the help of my high school social worker. Instead of bottling up my anger, grief, and confusion, we met once a week to talk throughout high school, and we continue to get together throughout my college years. Sharing my story helps me cope, because I want to save others through it. I want to be a support for other children with addicted parents, to help them through it.”

2018 Recipient: Veronica Nation, University of Colorado Denver

Quote from Veronica’s essay: “Talking about what happened, and taking the next steps to recovery helped me understand a lot about myself and about addiction. I learned I could not and still cannot change people and make decisions for them. I learned that the best coping mechanism for me is to put my heart and energy into things that really matter to me: writing and my education. I know that addiction is controlling, it is deep and painful and hard to escape. Love has given me everything I need to forgive my father, and I am so thankful to have grown from such a difficult time in my life.”

2017 Recipient: Daniele Martino, Iona College

Quote from Daniele’s essay: “Regardless of the circumstances surrounding the death of a family member, no person is truly prepared to lose somebody they love. To lose a family member to addiction is confusing, infuriating and at times, hopeless. The most we can do is put together the broken pieces and seek some angle of perspective into what could have caused such a bewildering tragedy. My ultimate goal is to contribute to creating a more well-rounded depiction of what mental illness entails by pursuing a career in the mental health field. I believe this scholarship would help bring me closer to my career aspirations and in my mission of correctly educating the public about the mental health epidemic, in order to eradicate the addiction stigma.”

2016 Recipient: Micole Fuller, Washington State University

Quote from Micole’s essay: “I think the essence of [this scholarship] foundation is something I have a lot of respect for and understanding of. While dealing with my father’s death, his mental illness, and especially his alcohol abuse for 20 years was an extremely hard part of my life, I do appreciate the opportunity that even this application has given me to reconcile with the past and honor the fact that—despite the hardships in his life—he was a good man who wanted nothing more than to be there for his children. Even if I’m not given the award, I have a lot of admiration for its purpose and am glad that a deserving student who has faced things I am all too familiar with will be given this academic opportunity.”