Stephen Provenzano
1st Year Recipient
Southeastern Louisiana University
Stephen Provenzano is the son of Geralyn and Dale Provenzano from Mandeville. He is a Freshman at Southeastern Louisiana University and is majoring in Mass Communication.
Stephen shares this from his scholarship essay. “At the young age of 15, I was given the kind of news that often changes lives of not one but many. I was diagnosed with liver cancer called fibrolamellar. Even though this was a negative event in my life, as time goes on it continues to produce positive outcomes. This experience has left me stronger in more ways than one. It has left me with not a complete understanding of life, but a better understanding of it. I have been shown how short life truly is and how it can change without warning at anytime. Some event in a lifetime will test your willpower and determination. I feel this is my test and if this never had happened, I do not think I would be the same person that I am today. “Since his diagnosis, Stephen has had four major surgeries and three rounds of chemotherapy. This rare form of cancer has reoccurred three times. He is followed by a wonderful medical staff at MD Anderson and has routine CT scans.
