“Being in a professional workforce has made me realize just how important a college degree is to career development. My degree has provided me with the basic tools and preparation necessary to succeed. The Simon Estes Educational Foundation, Inc. is an organization that enabled me to attend college and work to earn my degree. I was extremely fortunate to be a scholarship recipient and will be forever grateful for what it has allowed me to achieve.”
“The Simon Estes Scholarship helped to encourage me, and allowed me to believe that there were others besides my family who supported my career path. Thank you!”
“I am so very grateful to the Foundation for giving me such a wonderful opportunity to fulfill my educational goals. Without the scholarship, I would not have been able to obtain my education. I wish every student could have the opportunity that I did. Because I felt I was representing the Foundation, it made me work that much harder to finish my education. This work ethic has carried me through – even today!”
“As a Simon Estes Scholar, my limited vision of the opportunities out there turned into a limitless frontier. My family was financially strapped with four children and one income. Being a Scholar gave me the edge & accountability to make a career attainable and affordable.”
“They didn’t just give me a check….they checked in with me…they made sure I had emotional support – that makes a huge difference.”
“The Simon Estes Educational Foundation, Inc. enabled me to further my education at Oklahoma State University by funding four years of college tuition. I graduated with a degree in Computer Science and a minor in Mathematics and accepted a position with the Department of Defense. I now have a stable income that allows me to live without the constant financial worries I had throughout my childhood.”
“The Simon Estes Scholarship enabled me to be the first in my family to finish college. Because I received help from the scholarship, my parents were able to help two other siblings in college as well. Receiving the scholarship each year was a reminder to me that my education and success would benefit me – and my family too!”
“I’ve had a mentorship with a donor and he’s introduced me to people and given me opportunities that I might not have otherwise had.”
“The Simon Estes Educational Foundation, Inc. paved a way I thought I would never see. This scholarship kept me in line and my self-esteem rose. All those at the Foundation helped me get through those four years of college when I thought I wouldn’t be able to make it. My mother was diagnosed with cancer in 1995 and the Foundation has been very supportive of me and there are even some members that still call to ask how my mother is. My father also suffered a brain hemorrhage in 1995 and I think without the Foundation I would have given up.”