Spring 2026 Winner of the Family First Scholarship

Alexis Williams

Alexis, a law student at the University of Arizona, has been awarded $1,500 through our Family First Scholarship. She is passionate about her education and utilizing her legal services and knowledge to help others make informed decisions. We wish Alexis the best as she continues pursuing her goals!

Read Their Essay Here:

Everywhere you look, misinformation is waiting- on social media, in group chats, in headlines that spread faster than the truth ever could. False claims travel at lightning speed, shaping opinions before facts even have a chance to catch up. That reality is frustrating, and it's also dangerous, because when people don’t know any better, misinformation fills the gap. I don’t want to be another voice repeating something I barely understand. I want to know what I’m talking about, so I can push back against falsehoods instead of unknowingly supporting them. Through education and critical thinking, we can slow the spread of misinformation and help others see the truth for what it is.

Despite growing up in a tough, low-income neighborhood, my parents never allowed my siblings or me to believe that our circumstances defined our potential. They raised us to believe we could accomplish anything we set our minds to. At the same time, they were working constantly to keep us sheltered, fed, and safe, and because of that, they were rarely home. While their absence was a reality, the values they instilled in us-resilience, determination, and self-belief became the foundation I carried forward. Nonetheless, graduating from high school, and doing so without becoming a parent, is the exception rather than the expectation there. That never deterred my parents from pushing us to realize this at a young age, which shaped my determination to create a different future for myself. I knew that if I wanted to be intentional about every step I took. I joined the military as a combat medic, not only to reduce the financial burden of college, but also to be in an environment where responsibility, discipline, and service were central. It was during this time that I first recognized how deeply people struggled to understand their own health, often lacking knowledge of even their most basic rights within the healthcare system.

That realization guided me toward an undergraduate education focused on health, where my passion for understanding and sharing accurate information continued to grow. Life, however, tested that commitment in unexpected ways when I became pregnant with twins and was placed on bedrest just two months into my pregnancy. In that moment, advocating for myself and my sons became essential, and I quickly learned how dangerous misinformation could be - causing confusion, fear, and harm - especially for single parents who must make decisions without additional support. These experiences solidified my purpose and strengthened my resolve.

I want to be a voice grounded in knowledge, evidence, and credible sources, working to create positive change. Ultimately, I am pursuing my college degree to build a career in health advocacy and education, where I can empower families to make informed decisions and access the care and resources they deserve.

Higher education will allow me to transform lived experience into professional expertise, ensuring long-term financial stability while also giving me the tools to help others. For my children, my education represents security, perseverance, and hope. Every day, I want my sons to know what their mother fought to steer them in the right direction, that she never stopped learning, and that she worked tirelessly to create a future where they could thrive. Through my education, I am investing long days, sleepless nights, and any extra money I might have had to build a career as an advocate for those without access to proper information, helping individuals and families navigate systems that should protect and empower them, so my children and others like them can thrive within a world that truly serves them. All I need now is a small measure of financial support to turn ambition into action.