Since 2014, JRC Insurance Group has awarded a $1000 scholarship each semester to the high school or college student that writes the most compelling essay about why every family’s primary earner should have life insurance.

This semester we received a record of more than 160 essays, but after reading through each submission, it was clear that Brett Davie’s essay was the winner. Great job, Brett and congratulations!

Brett currently attends VCU in Richmond, VA where he is majoring in Biology while studying Chemistry and Spanish. Go VCU Rams!

We’ve posted winning essay, “Ex-Educator,” below.

Ex-Educator

There it was, “EX-EDUCATOR” on the license plate. I knew that was my grandma pulling into the school loop to pick me up. Everyday of elementary school ended like this, my tutoring with her. She picked me up in her 1999 Oldsmobile Aurora and we’d make the nostalgic drive to her house where she would joyfully make a lunch before we “get to workin”. As I reluctantly pulled out my schoolwork and homework from the day, I knew grueling work was ahead. This novel idea of a consistent work ethic seemed to be as ingrained in her as the toothpick that dangled from her mouth after every meal. Growing up through a world war as an African American female becoming a teacher, principal, and predominant single mother raising two children during the civil rights movement, she was no stranger to working hard through all odds to achieve her goal. Children rarely know the sacrifices our grandparents make for us until we are old enough to hear the trembling in our parents voice across a telephone line, a call that resonated more than I could ever know.

The next few days were a fog of sending emails to professors about missing class, rescheduling tests, calling out of work, and talking with family about funeral arrangements. As the organized chaos began to slow, her life insurance policy became the topic of conversation. After what seemed like hours of my father and uncle sifting through her paperwork and making calls, the policy was found. A sigh of relief engulfed the room. Even after death she still educated us on how to take care of family. It was taken care of – everything, enough to take care of the funeral, remaining debt, car payments and even money for tuition. Through her life insurance, money could be distributed to help pay for tuition. A week after the funeral my parents called my brother and I to sit down and discuss their own life insurance policy. Step by step they broke down each part of the policy; what to do, whom to call, and the beneficiaries. At the age of twenty this was a lot to handle, but I knew it was necessary. For myself, the image of these talks being put into action were years away, but what we plan is not always what life has in store. The older I became the more I began to hear of friends having the same conversations with their parents. Though we all agreed these were tough conversations to have, we could see how they were needed. I could see the importance of understanding life insurance policies.  Furthermore, understanding the mindset of the insured is critical to allowing for their selfless act to be presented to the best of their vision.  Life insurance is an extension of the insured’s personality, kindness, and selfless care for their family. This was the case for my grandmother.

The significance of my grandmother’s life insurance is more than an amount of money. Even after death she was still the teacher, with life insurance acting as the school.  She remained the tutor to guide my education and allowing my dreams of attending medical school and becoming a young black Cardiologist. Life insurance, as defined by Merriam Webster is “insurance providing for payment of a stipulated sum to a designated beneficiary upon death of the insured”. I disagree. Life insurance is taking Organic Chemistry, Microbiology, Lab and Spanish. Life insurance is watching my father, uncle, and family smile and laugh as we reminisce on the many sayings and phrases of my grandma with comfort; “Vashti-isms” we called them. Life insurance is my brother moving out to Colorado to work for an IT company because he no longer has as much college debt. Through the means of life insurance, she continues to make sacrifices and teach us about the value of hard work and education. Life insurance is Vashti Davie.