What you have not heard is how Osceola’s gift had affected my life. I am 19 years old and the first recipient1 of an Osceola McCarty Scholarship.
I was a dedicated student, and I had my heart set on going to U**. But I missed being eligible for a regular scholarship by one point on the entrance exams, and a scholarship was the only way I could attend.
One Sunday, I came across the story in the paper about Osceola McCarty and her generous gift. I showed my mother the article, and we both agreed it was a great thing to have done.
The next day I went to the financial aid office, and they told me there was still no money available for me, but if anything came up they’d call. A few days later, as I was running out the door to catch a ride with my mother to work, the phone rang. I stopped to pick it up, and while I heard my mother honking2 the horn for me to hurry up, they told me I had been chosen to receive the first Osceola McCarty Scholarship. I was ecstatic！ I ran out as fast as I could to tell my mother. She had to call the office again herself to make sure it was true.
I first met Osceola at a press conference—meeting her was like finding f***ly. Osceola never married, nor had children, so my f***ly has since become her f***ly. My grandma and she talk on the phone regularly and do errands together, and she joins us for f***ly functions.
Once we got round to talking about ice cream. We found out Osceola hadn’t had much experience with ice cream, so we al