Michelle Summerson

This verse has guided and comforted Messiah parent Michelle Summerson through the valleys of the darkest time of her life. In 2011, when her children Sarah and James were in high school, her husband passed away due to complications from Parkinson's disease. As she dealt with her own sadness, she realized she had to be strong for her grieving children as she was now the sole parent and financial provider. She leaned heavily on God and immersed herself in His word, relying deeply on Scriptures, including the verse above.

Thanks to the power of prayer, her children found solace in their church youth group and in a newly formed grief group for bereaved teens. Both the youth group and the grief group provided Sarah and James an outlet to express their feelings in a supportive, Christ-centered atmosphere. Due to these experiences, her children decided that they wanted to pursue Christian higher education after high school. Sarah, the eldest child, visited Messiah University during her senior year of high school. During her visit, she attended chapel and was so impressed with the faith commitment of the students and staff that she decided to enroll.

Michelle quickly realized that financial constraints due to her husband's untimely passing would make affording a college education difficult. However, thanks to the generosity of Messiah's donors, Sarah was able to receive scholarships and grants that made it possible for her to attend. Sarah blossomed during her time at Messiah, playing tennis for the Falcons and majoring in dietetics. And even though she was still grieving the loss of her father, being surrounded by a loving and caring community softened that loss and enabled her to thrive.

As Sarah was experiencing life as a college student at Messiah, Michelle was undergoing her own journey of faith and healing. She had always felt called to give to others, even during the lowest points after her husband's death when finances seemed extremely tight. During these trying times, she leaned on Scripture and made the conscious choice to believe His word, even when her worldly circumstances seemed to tell her otherwise. She clung to the promise of Matthew 6:33 - "seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." And even in her time of great need, Michelle began to give and bless others.

Due to her commitment to provide for others, Michelle used funds from a life insurance policy to start a scholarship in her husband's memory. This fund, named the In His Hands Scholarship, is given to a college student who has experienced the death of a parent. Michelle wanted to help others who had gone through the same loss as her children had and found that this scholarship was a way to tangibly provide this important assistance. Messiah's 100% scholarship match program made it possible for her dream of helping a grieving student, just like her daughter had been helped, become a reality.

Michelle and Sarah have been able to meet the recipient of the In His Hands Scholarship, something that provided great joy for both of them. Michelle felt that meeting her student recipient was a true manifestation of God's goodness and love, and it moved her to tears that something so meaningful could be brought out of her deep loss.

The pain of losing a spouse never really goes away, but through God's grace Michelle has truly found a place of peace and hope. She realizes the truth of Hebrews 10:23, which states "let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful." Messiah University is grateful for dedicated benefactors like Michelle, who make it possible for future students to receive the blessing that is a Messiah education.