Abby
Major in Nursing, Maryville University
Hometown: Argyle, MO

As the oldest in a family of eight children and the daughter of two parents who did not receive a college education, college has been a first experience for not just myself, but also my family. I cannot possibly put into words the value I place on my college education. For me, college is a stepping stone to achieving my dreams. College is the ultimate opportunity for me to attain my goals, my future.

I chose Maryville University in St. Louis, MO not only because of the excellent education it boasts, but because of the opportunity of personal growth and learning it offered. I am a sophomore in the outstanding nursing program of Maryville University and a member of the D-II Maryville Lady Saints Basketball Program. As a proud student-athlete here at Maryville University, I greatly value my college experience. Basketball is an exceptionally important aspect of my life; it continues to prepare me for life. I aspire to graduate from Maryville University with my Bachelor's in Nursing pursue my career in nursing as a CRNA, Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist.

Being a student-athlete is one of the most challenging endeavors I have ever experienced. In addition to being a student-athlete, I maintain many memberships and involvement within the Maryville community, including a position as Resident Assistant (RA). Due to all of athletic, academic, and social commitments, finances are often an area of consistent worry and stress. The Access Missouri support provides relief to some of this worry. It allows me to focus my attention, time, and effort on my academic, athletic, and social success and involvement. I sincerely value this form of aid.

Kary
Major in Education, Maryville University
Hometown: Argyle, MO

Like most people, I choose to go to college in order to receive advanced education that would allow me to follow my dream of becoming a teacher. I have known I wanted to be a teacher since about the sixth grade.  It is just something that always appealed to me because it would allow me to help others gain knowledge of their own. Without college I would be unable to achieve my dream of becoming a teacher.  It is for this same reason that I choose Maryville University. They have an excellent education program with the possibility of obtaining my Masters within five years of college. This is a great opportunity that would be impossible to me without the financial aid I received. I say this because the amount of financial aid I received played a huge part in my decision to attend Maryville University

Revoking the Access Missouri Grant would take away the much needed funding from students that rely on the aid to help them achieve their dreams. Many choose not to attend college because of lack of money. Without this financial aid I would have to take out more loans which would add to the amount of debt I would have to worry about after college. Like I stated before, the amount of financial aid I received had a huge impact on the college I decided to attend and the Access Missouri Grant was part of this aid. For many, financial aid can be a deciding factor in which college they choose to attend. This could ultimately destroy their dream of becoming want they what to or maybe ruin their chances of attending their dream college.  Either way I hope people see how much students rely on financial aid in order to make their dreams into reality, and revoking this scholarship would have the potential to destroy someone’s future.