From Staff Reports

Jemison graduate Kelsie Knowles received a $2,000 Kids’ Chance scholarship.

The scholarship helps students whose parent or parents have been killed or permanently disabled in a work related injury. The money is to help the student attend college or technical school.

When a parent is killed or disabled, a family’s standard of living is lowered and parents often cannot help their children with the costs of higher education.

The Workers’ Compensation Section of the Alabama State Bar founded Kids’ Chance in 1992 to address this need.

The Alabama Law Foundation, a charitable tax-exempt organization, administers Kids’ Chance. So far, 67 students have graduated with help from the scholarship. The awards for this school year totaled $24,500, bringing the total amount awarded to $648,000. The awards have helped more than 175 students since 1993.

Knowles lost her father to a work related accident. She received the scholarship to help fund her studies at the University of Alabama, where she is studying political science and criminal justice. Knowles is currently in pursuit of a law degree.