American Family Life Insurance Company awards $10,000 to Life Lessons Scholarship winner

According to credit.com, student loan debt rose to $1.49 trillion in the first quarter of 2019. 

And besides paying their debt, graduates still need funds for rent, groceries, or the occasional night out with friends. Being an aspiring or current college student and seeing those numbers is intimidating. For some, it may deter them from going to college all together.

American Family Life Insurance Company (AFLIC) lends a hand

As in years past, AFLIC is providing the Life Lessons American Family Scholarship. The $10,000 scholarship, run by Life Happens but voted on by Life Company leadership, is a fund that helps kids who struggle paying for college after losing a parent who had little to no life insurance. The scholarship is used towards future tuition and qualified expenses which helps to minimize the student debt that may have been incurred without the scholarship.

This year’s scholarship winner is Jes, a college senior. Jes’ father, who lacked any sort of life insurance, passed away when he was 13. And, like so many other college students, Jes is concerned about the debt he’s accumulated.

Catching up with Jes

Now a senior on track to graduate in the summer of 2020, Jes looks back on winning the scholarship with almost as much excitement as he looks ahead toward his future.

“When I got the phone call informing me I’d won the scholarship, I felt so much gratitude, excitement, disbelief – really any positive emotion you can think of,” says Jes. “I’d thought about what it might feel like to win after I submitted the application, but even all that didn’t prepare me for the pure happiness I felt knowing my hard work had paid off.”

And what’s next?

“Following graduation, I am planning to apply for a Los Angeles-based internship program targeting recent film school graduates for which my professor recommended me,” says Jes. “I’m hoping that, with that as my starting point, it will give me the opportunity to get my foot in the door and gain some great experience.”

Watch Jes’ winning application video for the 2019 Life Lessons Scholarship:

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About American Family Insurance
Madison, Wisconsin-based American Family Insurance group is the nation's 13th-largest property/casualty insurance group and ranks No. 306 on the Fortune 500 list. The company sells American Family-brand products, including auto, homeowners, life, business and farm/ranch insurance, primarily through its exclusive agents in 19 states. American Family affiliates (The General and Homesite) also provide options for consumers who want to manage their insurance matters directly over the internet or by phone. Affiliate Main Street America sells insurance products through independent agents. Web www.amfam.com; Facebook www.facebook.com/amfam; Twitter www.twitter.com/amfam.