Supporting Stephanie's Journey to Graduation

Hi, my name is Stephanie Mahoney. I'm a senior broadcast journalism major currently attending Baylor University. On July 28th, 2023 I suddenly lost my stepfather. It is my hope that by sharing my story and asking for your prayers and support through these financial difficulties, I can demonstrate just how much my stepfather meant to me and truly changed my life.

Throughout my life, I have continuously been challenged to grow in a variety of ways from losing my father at the age of 3, moving 7,000 miles away to Saudi Arabia, and now losing my stepfather in my early twenties.

When I was just 3 years old, my father, David, was diagnosed with brain cancer. He fought tremendously with the love and support of our family for over a year until he passed away. This battle set our family back as my mom, Gina, tirelessly fought to keep a steady income, food on our plate, and shoes on our feet, as a single mother without a college degree. In the midst of her healing, Mom went back to school as my two older brothers, Nathan and Grant, helped take care of me. Although we were young this challenge forced us to gain a new perspective about life. Instead of focusing on the disease that ruined our family, we focused on the joy God would bring from this hardship.

Over the next couple of years, we met my wonderful stepfather, Joe. Joe was goofy, kind, passionate, and faithful. His laugh became infectious to our family dinners, and his hugs strengthened our bad days. It didn't take us long before we started to ask where he was or when that nice man would be back. Joe was wholeheartedly my father in my eyes because he never treated me as anything less than his daughter. His joyful attitude and outgoing personality are parts of him I am blessed to have inherited.

Joe officially became a part of our family in November of 2007 as he and my mom entered into what would be a lifetime of happiness. Unfortunately, we recently discovered that God had other plans for our story. On July 28th, 2023 my stepfather Joe suddenly passed away at the age of 57.

Joe not only provided multiple opportunities for us financially to excel in our education, but also a foundation of life and faith for us as a family. He believed that knowledge was power and that feelings were not facts. He always pushed my brothers and I to be the best versions of ourselves, even when we didn't feel like it. Joe graduated from the University of Illinois with a Bachelor of Science in Accountancy and received his Master's Degree at DePaul University in Business Administration. He worked for multiple diverse corporations throughout his lifetime including Ernst & Young, Saudi Aramco, and Bright Balance accounting. Seeing his success and drive created a passion in me to excel and accomplish great things myself. I have been so blessed to have had access to private school education and continue to strive toward my personal aspirations. However, with a curveball this impactful, my family no longer has the income to support the financial tuition, rent, and daily expenses of going to Baylor University.

In the thick of our grief, we ask for your support and help to overcome this hardship. This struggle not only creates deep sadness within our hearts but leaves us with emotional and financial obstacles that threaten my chance of graduating from Baylor. I know it was my father’s dream to see me succeed and walk across the graduation stage with pride. With your donation, prayers, and support, I would be extremely blessed to continue to pursue that endeavor successfully. Thank you for being a part of this life-altering chapter in our story and taking the time to read about how impactful, special, and loved my Dad was. Your support means the world to us!