1. Tylerite awarded $24,000 scholarship to pursue higher education

Best bumper sticker of the week:

Don’t spread my wealth

Spread my work ethic

– Get a Job!

 

Last week I had a great visit on the way to lunch with my old classmate, Scott Knight. We exchanged information about our kids and agreed they were leaving the nest quicker than we would have dreamed.

His daughter and oldest child, Grace, was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis in her youth, and he was relishing the notion she is now attending college at Penn.

What he didn’t mention was what I learned from his mother-in-law the same evening.

Cheryl Threlkeld stopped me and handed me a card with instructions on how to vote for her granddaughter, Grace, to win a $24,000 AbbVie CF Scholarship. A picture of the card is here with the column today.

Cheryl made a point to corner me until I assured her I would log on to the website and vote for Grace.

Our families have been connected in so many ways over the years, but we really got wind of how special Grace was when my daughter, Sarah, became her babysitter back in Sarah’s high school years.

Now you can’t hold it against Scott for not bringing this up, because he probably knew his mother-in-law was already pestering people all over town about it, and he could probably tell I was too hungry to remember anything important when we visited.

However, the point of the matter is they need your help so Grace can win this scholarship. You can only vote once, so share the link and post it to your social media accounts, and let’s get the word out, because this child deserves it.

Log on to:www.abbviecfscholarship.com/profiles.

Voting ends Oct. 14, so don’t dillydally around with this.

Why? Grace’s family has rallied around this cause and brought significant attention to it as a result of their passion to find a cure.

We have an opportunity to join them in doing something good for someone who is most deserving.

Can we make this go wild on social media? It is my belief anything is possible.

This is a challenge to all media in this area to pick up the ball and run with it.

Leave it to a grandma to start something like this.

 

MORE ABOUT GRACE

In addition to excelling academically as a student at Bishop T.K. Gorman Catholic School, Grace Knight played varsity sports, ran cross country and earned numerous honors as an accomplished violinist, all while fighting cystic fibrosis. 

She has held a variety of leadership and volunteer positions, from serving in Girl Scouts, to being named to the National Honor Society, to leading the East Texas Youth Orchestra as concertmaster and more. 

Now, she is one of 39 students being considered for a $24,000 AbbVie CF scholarship. In her online profile for voting, Grace credits her family for giving her stength and accomplishments. Here’s some of what she wrote:

“My inspiration does not come from a single person, but a single unit: my family. In my unpredictable life with cystic fibrosis, my family remains a firm foundation. I need the determination of my mother, the optimism of my dad and the silliness of my brothers. Without one of them, the foundation is broken. When CF is tough, they cheer me on. My drive to fight stems from their faith in my strength. They know I can beat this disease, and so I know I can as well.This may sound like an average family, but to me, their support is exceptional. When the doctors tried to dismiss my sickness, my mom stood up for me. When I wanted to apply to 11 colleges, my dad took me seriously. When people did not care, my brothers built me up. While I am scared about going far away for college, I know this is the right choice for me. I am confident in my character and determined to beat this disease. Deep down I know this determination and confidence is not just my own, but a compilation of the feelings radiating off my family as they send me on my own adventure.”

Read more and vote for Grace at www.abbviecfscholarship.com/profiles/2016/grace-k.html.