Special scholarship helps cancer survivor pursue her college degree dreams
DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) — A North Texas student diagnosed with cancer is continuing to pursue her dream of a college degree, in part thanks to a special scholarship program.
Rebecca Halbert is from Burleson, and the 22-year-old has always been active.
"I grew up playing every sport under the sun, pretty much," she said. "I cheered, swam, ran track and power lifted."
She came to Dallas Baptist University on a cheer scholarship.
Halbert was eager to compete on the squad, but COVID interrupted her freshman year. While quarantining at home, her health started to decline.
"I lost a bunch of weight I didn't have to lose," Halbert said. "I developed some night sweats, just a lot of fatigue. I came back for my sophomore year of school to continue cheering, and my body just wasn't keeping up with the other athletes."
During a tournament in Oklahoma, she noticed a knot in her shoulder. It turned out to be Hodgkin's Lymphoma, a a cancer that starts in white blood cells.
Within a month of her diagnosis, she began a grueling schedule of chemotherapy and then radiation.
"There were moments I'd talk to God and say I can't do this, I can't do another treatment," said Halbert.
But her faith, and the support of her family and friends, kept her going.
She even refused to let cancer derail her plans to simultaneously earn a bachelor's and Master's degree in business from DBU.
"My very first chemo treatment, I was taking my finals in the chemo room on my computer," Halbert said.
A grant from the Northwestern Mutual Foundation helped her continue her studies while battling cancer.
Recognizing the significant financial burden families shoulder when undergoing childhood cancer treatments, the Northwestern Mutual Foundation dedicated $500,000 in grants to help fund tuition and other school fees for childhood cancer survivors and siblings of those affected by childhood cancer through its annual Childhood Cancer Survivor and Sibling Scholarship Programs.
"Childhood cancer robs children and their families of far too much, and that should not include the opportunity to pursue their dreams of a college degree," said Steve Radke, president of the Northwestern Mutual Foundation. "We are proud to help these brave children start the next chapter of their lives, as well as recognize and honor the challenges siblings endure."
Halbert is one of the company's 2022 recipients, receiving a $5,000 renewable scholarship (for a total of $10,000).
"The scholarship that they gave us really helped my parents focus on us recovering as a family and on paying medical bills instead of school bills," she said.
Now Halbert is cancer free and on track to graduate in May of 2023.
"[Cancer] wasn't an inconvenience," she said. "What He was doing in my life was really a blessing. It was many blessings, and I just want to encourage anyone, if you feel like where you're at in life is an inconvenience, or that you can't see what God is doing, to just be patient. Open your heart and your mind to whatever it is that God is looking to do."
Since it was started, Northwestern Mutual has given more than $1.5 million through its Childhood Cancer Scholarship Program.
Applications for the 2023 scholarship program are open now through February 1st, 2023. More information about the Childhood Cancer Survivor Scholarship Program and the Childhood Cancer Sibling Scholarship Program is available online.
