Be the Reason: Emma Kidwell

Scholarships help students from all backgrounds access Saint Louis University's Catholic Jesuit education. Hear from SLU School of Social Work student Emma Kidwell on how financial aid is reducing the stress of higher education.
Emma says: "Financial aid and trying to finance college can be a really stressful thing.
Even as a first-generation college student, my parents and I were walking through that together, kind of in the dark a little bit.
I am currently enrolled in SLU’s Accelerated Master of Social Work Program. I have been able to apply and go for that dual MSW and JD program. I'm just excited to continue being a part of the SLU community.
I actually had the opportunity to work with Legal Services of Eastern Missouri and their Youth and Family Advocacy Program this fall and spring for my practicum for social work. And having that opportunity to see that intersectionality of things I'm passionate about be a nonprofit option and Saint Louis really makes me excited, and it really wants me to be like, oh, like, the world's already on fire, how can I keep igniting that spark? And I think that's really beautiful.
The donors, especially, I would really emphasize that they are part of what makes SLU what it is. I truly am grateful to be SLU-educated. And have fallen in love with SLU during my time here.
And I would just say thank you for supporting these students and continuously giving us the opportunity to take that leap and be that first-generation college student, and go to graduate school and do all these big dreams and big ideas we have.
They really make that possible."