2026 – Jeremy Kerksiek – Beaver High School HS

My Biggest Life Challenge

In October of 2025 my mom went in to have an operation done on her brain. I was a little nervous about the surgery, but not as worried as I should have been. After the surgery she got a bleed on her brain and ended up passing away. This has been by far the hardest thing me and my family have ever gone through. I have 5 siblings, ages ranging from 8 to 22. Losing my mom left a big gap in our family, and life has been tough to acclimate to our new life. I still miss my mom dearly, and often find myself thinking about the dreaded “what if” questions. Despite this hard challenge that I am facing, I have come to realize that I still have a lot of life ahead for me and I need to make the best of it. Throughout all this I could have just chosen to give up, but I pressed on and have found a strong desire to be successful in life. Before my mom passed, she would always encourage me to do my best, and continue my education. My mom encouraged me to learn something everyday. Since her passing, I have found increased motivation to continue my education, and to live my life in a way that would make her proud. Somedays when I think about how I am going to do that I almost feel helpless, but I find ways to work through my struggles. I know I will be able to make my mom proud as long as I don’t give up.