Gabrielle Green Earns the 2022 Chalik & Chalik Cancer Survivors Scholarship

Gabrielle Green is the winner of the 2022 Chalik & Chalik Cancer Survivors Scholarship. Green will receive $1,000 from Chalik & Chalik Injury Lawyers to use toward her studies at Texas Woman’s University. The law firm awards the scholarship to a deserving student who has not only survived their cancer battle but wants to help fellow survivors and people with other illnesses.

Green, a second-year Ph.D. student and breast cancer survivor, is working toward becoming a nurse educator and leader so she can help children and adults live healthy lives. She also wants to start an organization that promotes healthy living and enables others to care for their well-being through holistic health care that treats their minds, bodies, and spirits. 

‘I Was in the Fight of My Life’

Green, diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer in 2017, started her master’s program in 2018 while completing her breast cancer treatment. Upon learning she had cancer exactly one year after getting married, she understood her life would never be the same.

“Terrified does not even describe the thoughts going through my head. My entire life stopped. I was no longer a wife, a mother, or a nurse. I was a breast cancer patient,” she shares in her scholarship essay.

Doctors told Green they believed her breast cancer was in Stage 4. The devastating news was met with tears, but her husband, Demario Green, was there to comfort and encourage her, saying they would get through the cancer fight together. 

Going Through Cancer Illness Allows Scholarship Winner to See Others’ Struggles

“I endured aggressive chemotherapy, radiation, and surgeries for the next 11 months,” Green writes. “Although I could utilize several resources through my insurance, I could see firsthand those that could not. At this point, I decided to dedicate my recovery to helping those in need.”

Despite battling the disease, Green found the inspiration to keep going. “Although I was in the fight of my life, I knew this experience would only catapult me to reach my goals.” 

Aspiring Nursing Educator Raises Breast Cancer Awareness in Her Community

While Green is no longer in active treatment, she continues to take medications and receive scans annually. She also will have several surgeries for the rest of her life, she says. Still, she volunteers with a local nursing organization that offers free mammograms and follow-up care to a dozen women in the Gulfport, Mississippi, area. The women can also attend educational seminars to learn about the organization’s free resources.

Helping African American Women Facing Cancer Diagnoses Is a Focus

Green, a graduate of the University of Southern Mississippi College of Nursing, has received recognition for her work, dedication, and commitment to helping others in the breast cancer fight. As she works toward her master’s degree, she plans to better understand the barriers to breast cancer treatment that African American women in the Southeastern United States face, including those who don’t have the health insurance they need. She wants to ensure they can access the resources that prepare them for their battles with cancer.

About the Chalik & Chalik Cancer Survivors Scholarship

Chalik & Chalik annually awards the Cancer Survivors Scholarship to a compassionate, deserving student who demonstrates resilience and a commitment to helping others.

The deadline to apply for the 2023 scholarship is June 15, 2023. Applications submitted past this deadline will not be considered.

Eligible applicants must meet the criteria below to qualify for the scholarship:

• Be currently admitted to or enrolled in an accredited college, university, or graduate school
• Have a minimum 3.0 GPA (an unofficial transcript must be provided)
• Agree to the scholarship’s terms and conditions
• Apply using the form on this page

Applicants must also write a 500- to 1000-word original essay on this topic:

“How are you helping others diagnosed with a serious illness and how did your cancer diagnosis influence you to help others?”

For more information, visit the Chalik & Chalik Cancer Survivors Scholarship page.