A box of salt, some soda pop and a tea set. That’s all 4-year-old Lumea Jaques, West Des Moines, Iowa, needed to ignite an early interest in science.
“That girl has been doing experiments since she was tiny,” says her mother, Darlene Brister. “One day she plugged the drain in the basement! She’s always wanted to know ‘why does this do this?’ and ‘why does that do that?’”
Now attending Benedictine College in Atchison, Kan., thanks in part to a $12,000 Modern Woodmen scholarship, Lumea still has some of the salt-encrusted teacups from her childhood studies. Today she dreams her studies in biology/pre-medicine and mass communications will take her to Africa and other countries to help people through medicine and education.
One of 15 children, Darlene’s family didn’t have the funds for college when she was Lumea’s age. “I had to work many years to get all the way through,” Darlene says. “Lumea saw that as I was finishing up my degree, so she has determination to get through in eight years instead of 20! This [the scholarship] will really come in as a big help.”
Be prepared As Modern Woodmen members, Lumea’s parents felt it was important for her to have life insurance coverage.
“My husband [William Jaques] and I have always thought that coverage for the kids was important, just in case they ever needed it … and so that they learned early on that having good coverage is important.”
The college search was another learning experience for Lumea and her parents. “Start looking for colleges early,” Darlene suggests, “and look at what scholarships are available ... if you put it off, pretty soon it’s upon you, and it’s too late.”
Early preparation and hard work helped Lumea rise to the challenge. “She’s always been such a good kid and a good student, and this scholarship says it pays off,” Darlene says. “I am truly blessed to be her mother.”