May 18 will be a monumental day for Mary. She will graduate from high school, which is a huge accomplishment all by itself. But she will also have enough college credits from the community college to have an associate’s degree. Mary’s hard work has paid off, as she was accepted to Truman State and received the Horatio Alger $25,000 scholarship! The scholarship assists students “who have faced and overcome great obstacles in their young lives.” She is also being considered for a scholarship from Yale. Mary plans to obtain a dual-engineering degree of physics and mechanical engineering, to help her pursue her interests of robotics and computer-aided design. She hopes to use her love of engineering and physics to be a skilled inventor and entrepreneur.  “The Steppingstone program has allowed me to have a place to sleep while teaching me life skills useful when I’m off on my own,” Mary says. “Steppingstone also helps pay for a lot of important essentials, such as school supplies or a birth certificate. Steppingstone is exactly what it sounds like—a stepping stone. The resources are available to reach your goals, whether that be to finish a four-year degree or afford your own home.”