Atlanta SEO Company, EverSpark Interactive, names Matthew Milligan its scholarship awardee
This $1K scholarship recognizes the special challenges presented by epilepsy and assists determined students in realizing their dreams of higher education
ATLANTA, Sept. 9, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- EverSpark Interactive is a full-service marketing agency that creates, for their clients, customized marketing solutions in the digital space. The organization lives by the motto, "See a need, fill a need." This expands beyond the boardroom.
Honoring JJ Hennessey, son of former agency executive, Jason Hennessey, who was diagnosed with epileptic seizure disorder as a young child, the EverSpark Interactive family witnessed many of the challenges faced by those diagnosed with the disorder.
This emboldened them to create the EverSpark Interactive $1,000 JJ Hennessey Honorary Epilepsy Scholarship to assist deserving students in alleviating some of the financial burden associated with higher education. The agency recently announced Matthew Milligan of Florida Gulf Coast University as the scholarship winner.
To qualify, prospective recipients were asked to submit a video no longer than two minutes addressing either epilepsy's effect on the personal goal attainment, overcoming special challenges, or how acceptance of the diagnosis served as a catalyst for personal change.
Milligan shared that he was diagnosed at age seven with an epileptic strand known as Benign Rolandic Seizure Disorder. Milligan recalls his first episode, lying on his stomach in his parent's bed, losing all ability to move or speak, but being fully conscious of everything that was happening around him. Most terrifying, he says, was his mother's cries and pleas to the 911 operator to send an ambulance. A series of tests revealed the cause of the seizure and Milligan was placed on controller medications that had the side effect of weakening his bones to point that he was, in his words, "…breaking bones constantly…"
Through his video and a subsequent interview, Milligan showed strength of character and dedication to overcoming obstacles that he says was forged through his faith and his life's motto "Don't let anything hold you back." Milligan is a college junior majoring in Forensic Science and minoring in Psychology. He maintains a 3.97 GPA and though his seizures stopped by the age of 12, he continues to battle two other neurological disorders.
EverSpark Interactive CEO, Chris Watson, says, "Matthew exemplifies why we created this scholarship. He is remarkable." Further, Watson expresses, "We believe strongly in creating a world where higher education is accessible to everyone and where conditions like epilepsy are not a barrier to success."
SOURCE EverSpark Interactive
Share this article