A resident of Horseheads, N.Y., Snyder transferred to WCU from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte this fall. She graduated from Notre Dame High School in Elmira, N.Y., in 2007. Her parents are Pamela C. Meleski and the late Scott T. Snyder, and her stepfather is Michael M. Meleski.

In applying for the initial LIFE Lessons scholarship, sponsored by the Life and Health Insurance Foundation for Education, Snyder had the option of writing an essay or creating a video that would call attention to the importance of having a life insurance policy, as part of Life Insurance Awareness Month. Snyder’s entry documented her family’s struggle following her father’s death in a truck fire and hardships without enough life insurance coverage in place.

“The essay submission only had one winner per year, and the video submission had four winners plus a grand prize winner,” said Snyder. “I thought my odds would be better if I made a video, so even though I had never made a video before, I decided to go for it.”

Enlisting the help of friends and family, Snyder began brainstorming and developing her entry. “I watched some of the previous winners and decided that, while the stories were touching, they would have been more so with music, pictures and home videos, so that was my approach when I made my video,” she said.

A few months later, she learned she won one of four $1,000 scholarships. When all four videos went online for a voting contest, Snyder’s received the most votes and won the grand prize: an additional $4,000 scholarship. “That is how I discovered the New York Life Scholarship,” said Snyder. “A New York Life Insurance Company representative called the LIFE Foundation and asked about its grand prize winner. I recently traveled to Charlotte to give a speech, and New York Life gave me a $2,000 scholarship.”

The whole process made Snyder realize how even bad things in life can turn into blessings, she said. “I never thought there would be any good that came from losing my dad at such a young age,” said Snyder. “Even though I would give anything to have him back, I know that he is proud of me and taking care of me through these scholarships.”

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Last modified: Friday, Oct. 10, 2008