The Randy Witthus Scholarship

Essay by Hannah

Growing up in a Christian household, it was easy for me to fall into a lukewarm faith. I
participated in Sunday School throughout my childhood and could recite Psalm 23 by the time I
was 5. However, as I grew up and began to form my opinions based on worldly experiences, I
started to stray away from God. I struggled to answer questions like “Why would God let bad
things happen to good people?” and when I lost my friend Gabriel to suicide on January 22nd, I
began to feel resentment towards Him. January 30th, a year and eight days later, my dad died,
and my faith died with him.
As a 13-year-old trying to cope with the grief of losing my friend, I felt anger towards
him for not thinking of others in his life, but as a 14-year-old who had just lost her father, the
only thing I felt for him was understanding. After fighting for months, the week I was going to
take my own life, I found myself at the altar on a Wednesday, reaccepting Jesus back into my
life. Despite the times I blamed Him, He continued to love me anyway. In the dark of my room,
when I felt consumed by loneliness, He was beside me, wiping my tears.
He gave me purpose through my pain when He led me to Teen Leadership, showing me
that I could fashion my grief into something that supported and educated others. I found passion
in using my voice to help youth struggling with mental illness. Serving on the Teen Leadership
staff team has shown me the impact I have when I stand in the strength God gave me. Over the
last 4 years, I have supported hundreds of teens and created spaces for them to realize they are
worthy, simultaneously cultivating a passion for mental health and supporting youth.
By placing me in a family where education was put above everything, I developed core
values centered around the importance of education. I now know that while life can strip material
possessions or change the plans I make for myself, what cannot be taken is my drive to keep
learning and growing. By majoring in psychology on a pre-medical track, I am continuing my
education and preparing myself to share knowledge that can bring hope to struggling youth. I
will get to show youth that it is not their circumstances and struggles that define them, but their
strength and ability to keep going. I aim to empower every young person I meet to work toward
lasting change, not just temporary solutions.
By dedicating my life to equipping young people with the tools to overcome their
struggles, I hope to honor Randy’s legacy, whose life and values continue to inspire those he left
behind. Continuing my education and sharing my knowledge on mental health is not just a career
path, but a calling from God that allows me to use my story to help others continue writing their own.

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