ATSSA Signal September October 2020

American Traffic Safety Services Association 36 The Foundation COMMITTED TO THE DREAM, RELIEVED TO HAVE HELP When Emily Hause left home to begin her college studies at Grand Valley State University inAugust 2019, shewas launch - ing plans to become a pediatric endocri - nologist. She set her mind on that path as a result of her experience living with Type 1 juvenile diabetes and felt her back - ground would be an asset as a doctor. When she needed to miss 2½ weeks of classes because of her father’s accident, she said her professors were supportive. They even helped her catch up afterward, enabling her tomake the Dean’s List her first semester. Her desire to become a doctor wasn’t dimmed by the death of her father but the financial burden looked steep. When her father’s employer passed along information about The American Traffic Safety Services Foundation and its Roadway Worker Memorial Scholar - ship, she found a glimmer of hope. This spring, she was one of 14 students awarded a scholarship for the 2020–21 academic year. The scholarship program is competitive and offers up to $10,000 annually for the dependents of roadway workers killed or permanently disabled in work zone accidents. Students who demonstrate a strong commitment to volunteerismare eligible to apply for an additional $1,000 scholarship given in honor of Chuck Bailey, a roadway safety industry member who died in 2002. Todate, TheATSSFoundationhasawarded 88 Roadway Worker Memorial Schol - arships and 21 Chuck Bailey Memorial Scholarships for a total value of $313,000, said Lori Diaz, associate director of The Foundation. “It’s helpful, extremely helpful,” Emily said. “It was really nice to know there was a group out there that honors those who were lost.” She also learned about the National Work Zone Memorial and was pleased that her father’s namewill be added to it. As the anniversary of her father’s death approached, Emily was reflective. She planned to be at home during the week her father was hospitalized and spend it withhermother, aunt, anduncle. The firsts of the past year were tough. Her 19th birthday came six days after her Dad’s death. Then Thanksgiving and Christmas quickly followed. The holiday that hit hardest, though, was Father’sDay. Shewasher father’sonly childand though her parents divorcedwhen shewas eight, she and her Dad were close. “I probably spent every weekend with him,” she said. They went to movies, made dinner, or visited with his extended family at a nearby campground. He knew of her dreams, told everyone about them, and encouraged her towork hard to achieve them. That was one of the things that helped her get back on track after he was gone. She now has her first year of college behind her and still wants to be a doctor but may pursue trauma surgery instead of endocrinology. Over the summer, she took an 11-week course to become an EmergencyMedical Technician to get her first experience delivering patient care. “I want to be successful and I know my Dad wants that for me,” she said. “It was helpful to remember that. … This is what my Dad would want me to be doing.”  To reach Pamela Gould, [email protected] . Barry Hause played a role in Emily’s dance recital when she was four. Emily Hause, age 4, enjoys a county fair with her dad, Barry Hause.