Life Happens has announced the recipients of the 2020 Life Lessons Scholarship Program Awards. This year, the association has awarded a record $351,000 in scholarships to a total number of 48 incoming and current college students in the U.S. who lost a parent or guardian who had little or no life insurance.
The 2020 scholarship recipient awarded a $20,000 scholarship is Zoe Mulzet, a 20-year-old from Whitehall, PA. Zoe lost her father during her freshman year of high school. While Zoe’s dad did have a life insurance policy intended to support his children, she could not access it after his passing. Zoe’s life, both emotionally and financially, changed entirely. She moved in with her sister, who became her caregiver, and doubted whether she could afford to go to college. Zoe is now preparing to attend Northampton Area Community College and will have the scholarship to ease her financial worries and ensure she continues her education. For information on the other recipients, visit www.lifehappens.org.
For Zoe and the 47 other students supported through the scholarship program, Life Happens recognizes the hardships many of these students face when a family member passes without a financial safety net like life insurance in place. An unfortunate reality for many families in 2020, Life Happens expanded its Life Lessons Scholarship Program to include a COVID-19 Relief Scholarship to provide $10,000 scholarships to 10 deserving students who lost a parent or guardian due to COVID-19.
“Many don’t realize the importance and value of life insurance until they experience the loss of a loved one,” said Faisa Stafford, LUTCF, SHRM-SCP, President and CEO of Life Happens. “Life insurance can be our children’s future and the difference between whether or not students like Zoe they can earn a college degree. At Life Happens we are honored to support students and help lift some of the financial burden associated with losing a parent so that it doesn’t have to get in the way of their future.”
Applications for the 2021 Life Lessons Scholarship Program will open alongside the COVID-19 Relief Scholarship in February 2021. To apply, students submit either a 500-word essay or a three-minute video discussing how the death of their parent or guardian affected their life financially and emotionally. For more information about Life Happens’ Life Lessons Scholarship Program, visit www.lifehappens.org/lifelessons.
Life Happens is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping consumers take personal financial responsibility through the ownership of life insurance and related products.