Scholarship winners Sara Pross and Grace Garza share their personal stories about how cancer has impacted their lives

Today, the national law firm of Baron & Budd announced that it has selected Sara Pross and Grace Garza as the winners of the Mesothelioma Cancer Victims Memorial Scholarship. Each winner will receive a $2,500 scholarship paid directly to the financial aid accounts at their universities.

Applicants were asked to submit a written or video essay about how cancer has impacted their lives. Sara Pross’ winning written essay was selected after a competitive review by the Baron & Budd Scholarship committee. Her powerful and moving essay detailed her father’s battle with Acute Myeloid Leukemia and how it shaped her life. Pross explained how her father’s strength to endure numerous clinical trials resulted in a breakthrough treatment for the disease even though, tragically, her father did not survive. Pross has dedicated much of her time to raising money for AML research and volunteering to help cancer patients.

In her essay Pross wrote, “I have decided that I will not let my daddy’s suffering go in vain. I plan to pursue a dual major in criminal justice and nursing oncology. I will dedicate my life to helping to find a cure for leukemia. My dad was always my hero, but on November 21, 2018, my dad became a hero to millions of cancer sufferers. On this day, as a result of my dad’s participation in the clinical trials, the FDA approved the treatment for AML patients. It is believed to be the cutting-edge treatment for leukemia patients and may even lead to a cure!”

Pross will be attending New England Law in Boston and will continue to volunteer with the Leukemia Society to keep fighting for a cure.

Additionally, Grace Garza was selected as the video essay winner. Her video focused on a friend who was diagnosed with brain cancer and how she has helped provide support for him and his family by raising money and volunteering. The family said, “Grace is a very giving and mature young lady. We are so grateful for her and all the time she has devoted to our family, asking absolutely nothing in return. For being a teenager in high school, she gave so much of her free time helping our family that could’ve been spent doing much more pleasant things with her friends. She has a huge heart and is going to go a long way in life with her giving personality.”

Garza explained how watching her friend deal with brain cancer has affected her, “It’s really hard seeing someone you have pretty much grown up with just deteriorate and can’t live to their full abilities, can’t do the stuff that I get to do on a daily basis, and it just hits a special part of my heart,” she said. Garza is attending the University of Nebraska-Lincoln where she is pursuing a degree in criminology.

“Sara and Grace both share an unwavering commitment to helping others. They have found purpose in the adversity that has confronted their families and friends. We extend our best wishes for their future success and we are proud to help support their education,” said President and Managing Shareholder Russell Budd.

The Mesothelioma Cancer Victims Memorial Scholarship was established to honor the legacy of the thousands of Americans who are diagnosed with mesothelioma cancer every year. For more information about the Baron & Budd Mesothelioma Cancer Victims Memorial Scholarship, please visit baronandbudd.com/mesothelioma-lawyer/scholarships/.

ABOUT BARON & BUDD, P.C.

Baron & Budd, P.C. is among the largest and most accomplished plaintiffs’ law firms in the country. With more than 45 years of experience, Baron & Budd has the expertise and resources to handle complex litigation throughout the United States. As a law firm that takes pride in remaining at the forefront of litigation, Baron & Budd has spearheaded many significant cases for hundreds of entities and thousands of individuals. Since the firm was founded in 1977, Baron & Budd has achieved substantial national acclaim for its work on cutting-edge litigation, trying hundreds of cases to verdict and settling tens of thousands of cases. Baron & Budd and its legal experts across the country pursue litigation to protect people and their communities from the effects of dangerous and diverse issues including: harmful pharmaceuticals as well as highly addictive opioids, defective medical devices, asbestos and mesothelioma, environmental contamination including delivering ground-breaking settlements for the California wildfire victims, e-cigarette manufacturers, fraudulent and illegal banking practices, motor vehicle manufacturing and accidents, False Claims Act cases, and other consumer fraud issues.

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