DENVER, Aug. 31, 2021 — The Pinnacol Foundation recently awarded $347,150 in scholarships to 74 students for the 2021-22 academic year. The Pinnacol Foundation provides scholarships every year to students whose parents have been seriously injured or killed in work-related accidents. The program was created by Pinnacol Assurance, Colorado’s largest workers’ compensation insurance company. Students are eligible whether or not Pinnacol was the insurer on their parent’s claim.
Pinnacol Assurance knows that when a parent is seriously injured in an accident, life suddenly becomes much harder for the whole family. That’s why the company created its scholarship program.
One of the newest Foundation scholars, Daniela, was 11 years old when her father died in a roofing accident in Longmont. That 11-year-old grew up instantly and took very little time to process her grief. Despite previously being a stellar student who received awards at school, she struggled to envision going to college after her father’s accident. After receiving treatment and support for mental health issues, she got back on her path and eventually flourished. Her new focus became achieving the dream she once shared with her dad — becoming an obstetrician. Thanks in part to the Pinnacol Foundation, Daniela is now enrolled at the University of Colorado, majoring in biology.
“Losing my father taught me to keep going because life is worth living,” said Daniela. “I want to show my parents that his death is not the end of our big plans.”
Since 2000, the Foundation has awarded more than $6 million in scholarships to nearly 650 students who have experienced the loss or injury of a parent.
The Pinnacol Foundation scholarship program is made possible through the generous support of Pinnacol Assurance, corporate sponsors and our community of individual donors.
View a list of scholarship recipients and their hometowns.
The application period for the 2022-23 academic year opens in November. Students can learn about applying for a Pinnacol Foundation scholarship here.
