Helping the Hurlburts by Michaela

Helping the Hurlburts by Michaela - March 2026 Scholarship Essay

As the captain of my cross-country team last season, I had the opportunity to coordinate and put together a care package for one of our coaches and her family, the Hurlburts, last year. Coach Meg’s husband is a firefighter, and, in December, he was injured fighting a house fire. The roof collapsed, and he was buried in heavy debris sustaining severe burns that left him needing treatment in the hospital for a several days. After hearing about the accident, I knew I wanted to do something for their family. Coach Meg has done so much for me as a coach, and I am friends with her daughter, Maddie, as well. I wanted to make sure they were surrounded with love and care as they dealt with the difficult situation. Remembering what others had done for my family when my mom had cancer, I asked our head coach for permission to buy a gift for the Hurlburts from the team. I put together a “basket full of sunshine” care package for their family. I had so much fun gathering gifts for them. While I already somewhat knew this about myself, I relearned that gift giving really is my primary love language. I love going shopping and looking for things that remind me of the person for whom I am shopping. I was so grateful for the opportunity to bless their family in this way, and I loved the whole process.