Marissa, a Northwest Missouri State University student, is on the path to reach her dreams! With a $500 scholarship from the 1,000 Dreams Fund, she is ready to conquer college and eventually become a lawyer. We caught up with Marissa on her journey to follow her dreams.

Tell us, what’s your dream?

I dream of becoming either a family lawyer or a criminal defense attorney. Later in my career, I want to either become a judge or open my own law practice.

That’s great! How will you use the funding you’ve received?

I will be using the scholarship towards my tuition costs for my freshman year at Northwest Missouri State University.

Awesome! How will this help you get closer to your dream?

This funding allows me to focus on my education instead of worrying about paying for an expensive education through the use of student loans.

We totally get that. What advice do you have for other young women?

When you put your mind to it, any dream you have is possible. Whether it’s dreaming of a new career, traveling around the world, or whatever your dream may be, the road may be difficult, but you have to remember that it isn’t impossible. If you want it badly enough, you will find a way.

Have you faced any challenges or setbacks so far?

When applying for college, I knew that my family and I didn’t have the money to pay for my education after high school. I knew I had to apply for scholarships, otherwise I would come out of college with debt. I put my mind to finding any scholarship I could. Even on nights when I had piles of homework, I was still filling out applications for scholarships. I’m happy to say that I received enough in scholarships to pay for most of my first year, but that wouldn’t have happened if I hadn’t dedicated so much time to finding the money to pay for my education.

Great advice. What’s next for you?

I plan to go to Northwest Missouri State University for two years to complete my bachelor’s degree. Then I will go to law school to earn my certification to practice law in the state of Missouri to begin my career.