COUNTRY Financial is pleased to announce Stephany Soto as the recipient of the 2020 COUNTRY Financial Life Lessons Scholarship. COUNTRY Financial selected Stephany, a junior at University of Georgia, as the winner of a $5,000 scholarship for the compelling essay she submitted about the devastating loss of her mother and the impact it has made on her life. Stephany, who is studying to become a veterinarian, will be sharing her story with COUNTRY Financial representatives on Oct. 1 via a Zoom call. 

“We’re so honored to present Stephany with this scholarship,” said Jerrod Wickler, agency manager for COUNTRY Financial in North Georgia. “We are touched by her story and inspired by her perseverance and commitment to her college education despite the adversity and financial hardship she’s faced.”

COUNTRY Financial partnered with Life Happens to present the scholarship opportunity to Oregon students. Life Happens is a non-profit dedicated to helping consumers make smart decisions to safeguard their loved ones. Each year, the Life Lessons Scholarship Program welcomes applications from college-aged individuals who have been negatively impacted after losing a parent. Students are asked to submit a 500-word essay or three-minute video in which they discuss the financial and emotional hardships they have faced as a result of the loss of a parent who had little or no life insurance. COUNTRY Financial sponsored ten scholarships across the country this year.