Meet Melissa Merrill
Life Grant Winner

From the day I was born my life has been a medical roller coaster, but throughout these hardships I have remained focused on my dream of being a preschool special education teacher. I feel my happiest and most successful when surrounded by individuals with special needs. With the help of my Life Grant, I will be able to continue my schooling while teaching and achieve my master's degree in special education. This is a perfect way for me to show my students and their families that people with special needs - whether they are physically, intellectually, or emotionally disabled-can achieve great things with the help of others. I now have the opportunity to instill my determination and will to survive into my students. This will show them that when given the right tools they can achieve their goals just as I am on the road to achieving mine.