Madison R.

I was in eighth grade when my father passed away suddenly after suffering through nine exhausting years of a disease that the doctors could not diagnose. He had an illness that he could no longer fight, an illness that medication could not cure. After many restless nights spent in hospital rooms and trying different medication combinations, at age 43, my father took his own life. This caused trauma and heartache to everyone who knew and cared about him. I could never have imagined my life without Dad. I lost my father, friend, hunting buddy and one of my biggest supporters, especially when it came to sports. There was never a game of hockey or soccer that my father did not attend. I've learned to cope with the help of therapy, peers and family members.

My mother became my motivator and idol when she took on the responsibilities that my father had to make sure my sister and I were properly cared for. This has not been easy. My mother works at a retail store as a store clerk making minimum wage but even through the hardest days, she’s made sure there's been food on the table, our bills are paid, and we are “okay” day to day. She has picked up small, odd jobs to have a steady income to provide for my sister and me.

As a result of my father’s death, I have sole responsibility for funding my post-secondary studies. Knowing this, I have been working at Subway since 2019. I work twenty-hour weeks to pay for extracurriculars and save for University which I started attending in September. My mother is now a single woman that struggles financially. With the expenses of postsecondary, receiving a Manulife Scholarship would help me immensely and set me on the path to my dream of becoming a teacher.

With the lack of life insurance coverage, my family has been caught struggling often. We have had great financial support from close relatives as my mother has difficulties affording basic needs with my sister and I attending post-secondary. If we had adequate life insurance, there would be less of a burden on us and I would be able to have my focus directly on my education, and not working. All three of my family members have worked one, if not two, jobs in order to have enough money to feel comfortable with.

I feel I have been resilient and faced challenges at such as young age, yet I am still determined to pursue my dream career of becoming a Primary/Elementary teacher. I show dedication, reliability, resilience, and not afraid to take on a new adventure.