With a presence in all 50 states and an increasing number of kids to reach, Kids’ Chance seeks leaders to advance the national community and its mission.
Kids’ Chance scholarship recipient Olivia credits her father as the person who fostered her love of marine science. Growing up in Florida, she and her dad spent countless days going to the beach, watching documentaries and being out in nature anytime they could.
Unfortunately, an accident during her sophomore year changed everything. Olivia’s father, an IT specialist, drove all over the country to visit clients to assist with technological issues. During a trip to Texas over Christmas break, her father suffered an injury on the road and tragically passed. Olivia was 16.
As Olivia pushed through her grief to graduate high school, she was more uncertain than ever about her future. Between the financial burden of higher education and the trauma she and her mother were still processing, “I didn’t even know if college was still in the books for me,” she recalled.
With no source of family income, Olivia worked three jobs while completing…
