a　great　thing　to　have　done。

The　next　day　I　went　to　the　financial　aid　office；　and　they　told　me　there　was　still　no　money　available　for　me；　but　if　anything　came　up　they’d　call。　A　few　days　later；　as　I　was　running　out　the　door　to　catch　a　ride　with　my　mother　to　work；　the　phone　rang。　I　stopped　to　pick　it　up；　and　while　I　heard　my　mother　honking2　the　horn　for　me　to　hurry　up；　they　told　me　I　had　been　chosen　to　receive　the　first　Osceola　McCarty　Scholarship。　I　was　ecstatic！　I　ran　out　as　fast　as　I　could　to　tell　my　mother。　She　had　to　call　the　office　again　herself　to　make　sure　it　was　true。

I　first　met　Osceola　at　a　press　conference—meeting　her　was　like　finding　family。　Osceola　never　married；　nor　had　children；　so　my　family　has　since　bee　her　family。　My　grandma　and　she　talk　on　the　phone　regularly　and　do　errands　together；　and　she　joins　us　for　family　functions。

Once　we　got　round　to　talking　about　ice　cream。　We　found　out　Osceola　hadn’t　had　much　experience　with　ice　cream；　so　we　all　packed　into　the　car　and　went　to　the　Dairy　Queen；　where　we　ordered　Osceola　her　first　banana　split！　She　has　ice　cream　a　lot　now。

Osceola　worked　hard　her　whole　life—from　early　in　the　morning　to　sunset—washing　clothes　by　hand。　I　used　to　drive　right　by　her　house　every　day　on　my　way　to　school。　Of　course；　at　the　time　I　didn’t　know　it　was　her　house；　but　I　did　notice　how　well　kept　the　lawn　was　and　how　everything　was　clean　and　neat。　Recently　I　asked　her　why　I　never　saw　her　once　in　all　that　time；　and　she　an