Stacie
Major in Management Information Systems, William Woods University
Hometown: Fenton, MO

College has been the best experience of my life thus far.  There have been so many ups and downs but in the end it is developing me into the woman that I knew I was capable of being.  I chose William Woods University for its athletics.  I am a soccer player and I liked the program that was offered here.  It also wasn't too far away from home.  However, one problem was that it is a private school and that means more expensive.  I have other brothers and sisters who are in college and so funding was going to be difficult for my family.  I worked really hard for an athletic scholarship, but in the end I did not receive what I thought I would, or deserved.  Despite this, I still chose the school not realizing the big picture of the expense.  Two years later, I received the Access Missouri grant.  It made a huge difference in my expenses and brought a lot of ease to me and my family.  I was able to attend college as an involved student and it is a great feeling knowing that I have support from Access Missouri to help accomplish my dreams.

My major is Management Information Systems with a minor in Business Administration.  I am looking to work in an IT atmosphere.  I am still working towards figuring out my exact career path, but I am proud to have options after graduation.  As I am a senior, losing Access Missouri for students at private colleges would not necessarily affect me.  However, having this opportunity was a big relief for me, and I want others to be able to say the same thing for years to come. Scholarships and grants effect peoples lives more than anyone can really understand.  It makes dreams come true.  It makes people able to attend college and accomplish what they never though they could.  It allows our future to remain educated and able to face the real world.  Do you really want to take this away from real, motivated, capable, intelligent people who need this boost to make it through college?