When Bogin, Munns & Munns developed the Focus on the Family Scholarship, we wanted to highlight just how important family and community can be for people going through a difficult time. This year, Stephen Moores wins the $2,500 award.
Moores’ sister was diagnosed with Kostmann’s Syndrome on the very first day of his second college semester. Under forced quarantine, it was difficult for Stephen to visit his sister in the hospital. “Weeks bled into months, I became unfocused and more upset daily as I became angry at everything,” Moores wrote.
The final straw came when Moores’ mother told him that his sister, Sophia, felt isolated and as if “nobody was on her team.” Stephen knew that he had to do something to make her feel more positive and give her the energy and love she needed.
Stephen Moores got together a group of friends to send Sophia videos while she was in the hospital, encouraging her to stay strong and reminding her that a group of people were pulling for her to recover from her illness.
Moores writes: “Our friends and community showed their support through Letters, meals, help cleaning the house while mom was away for months, gifts, and the most minor words.” Meanwhile, he says he would not have been able to cope with the situation if not for his family.
Now, after 10 months of recovery and hospitalization, Sophia is walking independently again and Stephen is excited about his prospects for the future. He plans to:
- Graduate early from the University of Pittsburgh
- Enter the nonprofit sphere
- Help nonprofit organizations become more efficient in a business sense
- Act as a liaison between the business world and medical care
More to Know About Stephen Moores
Moores has a bright future, undoubtedly. At the University of Pittsburgh, he has already made a name for himself by participating in groups like the National Alliance on Mental Illness, the environmental group Free The Planet, and Panther Equity.
He also creates a GroupMe chat for each of his classes, sharing lesson notes and homework advice with more than 230 students in a cooperative environment. Bogin, Munns & Munns is proud to award Moores with this $2,500 scholarship and look forward to seeing what he does in the future.
Read Stephen Moores’ winning essay.
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