2009
Chicagoland "Teen Driver" Scholarship Recipient
$7,500 Scholarship

“Where I have been defines what I will become. .. Growing up was complicated, and having a major birth defect changed my life. I have a cleft-palate and lip, and it is the biggest challenge I have faced in my life. As a kid, I had low self-esteem and would dread looking into the mirror and facing who I was. Constantly in and out of surgery was tough, but overcoming the intense mental and physical pain of it all made me a stronger person... I firmly believe this disorder happened for a reason. Furthering my education in dentistry and helping other innocent children with the disadvantages similar to mine is my dream.”

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