Ralph Yarl, a Missouri teen shot in the head after ringing the wrong doorbell in 2023, is inspiring local students to pursue their dreams despite adversities. Speaking at the KC Scholars annual event, Yarl emphasized the importance of using his potential to make a difference in the world.
"It is just fulfilling my potential as a human being. Like I was blessed with this brain, and I feel like I need to use it to use all of its power to make change upon this world," Yarl said during this weekend's KC Scholars annual event.
Despite his traumatic brain injury, he graduated from Staley High School and plans to study chemical engineering at Texas A&M. To honor his resilience, KC Scholars established the Ralph Yarl Scholarship, which he awarded to its first recipient, Isabella Peters.
Nancy Lewis, COO at Great Jobs KC/KC Scholars, highlighted that the scholarship represents resilience and continuous progress despite life's challenges. The $50,000 scholarship will help Peters, who graduates from Lincoln College Prep in 2025 and shares Yarl's love for music. She plans to attend UMKC to combine her passion for psychology and the arts to support children in hospitals. Peters expressed immense gratitude for the scholarship, stating it relieved the financial burden of college expenses.
"It represents to me resilience. It represents keeping moving forward no matter what," Chief Operating Officer at Great Jobs KC/KC Scholars Nancy Lewis said. "So many of our scholars and families, they go through a lot. Life happens and it can be discouraging, but we are here to stand in the gap. We're here to support them all the way through."
KC Scholars is awarding over 1,200 students with scholarships totaling more than $48 million this year alone. The Ralph Yarl Scholarship will continue to be awarded annually in his honor. Yarl hopes the scholarship will ease financial worries and help recipients pursue their passions.
Link: Fox4KC