Fresno State student awarded $10,000 Childhood Cancer Survivor Scholarship

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- A Fresno State pupil is being recognized arsenic 1 of Northwestern Mutual's 2023 Childhood Cancer Survivor Scholarship recipients.

It's portion of the foundation's ongoing effort to alleviate the fiscal load of families impacted by puerility cancer.

"I was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia astatine the property of two, and I had attraction erstwhile I was six. I was treated astatine Valley Children's successful Madera," Jakob Barrera told Action News successful a 2019 interview.

In November 2019, Barrera opened up to Action News astir his conflict with cancer. It was besides his archetypal clip sharing his story.

"Growing up, I ever saw myself arsenic different, that I wasn't arsenic bully arsenic everybody else. I was conscionable inferior, different," Barrera said.

The present 22-year-old yet learned it's a blessing to beryllium different, and his communicative could marque a affirmative interaction connected different children and their families.

"I'm beauteous large with Valley Children's Hospital," helium said. "Whenever they request idiosyncratic to beryllium similar a showcase, oregon spokesperson oregon conscionable correspond them, they usually prime me."

The assemblage senior's assemblage engagement is 1 of the galore reasons Northwestern Mutual awarded him $10,000 done its Childhood Cancer Survivor Scholarship Program. He's 1 of 50 recipients astir the country.

According to Barrera, the assistance has gone toward tuition, books, and surviving expenses -- allowing him to absorption connected his aboriginal successful firefighting, truthful helium tin bring anticipation to those successful need.

"I was fixed a 2nd accidental connected this world for a reason," Barrera said. "Just person a affirmative interaction connected everybody, due to the fact that you don't cognize what radical are going through."

Applications for Northwestern Mutual's 2024 puerility crab subsister scholarships are being accepted until February 1.

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