Nov 11, 2013 4 min read

Shane LaBarge is a junior at California University of Pennsylvania and he worries about more than his grades.

LaBarge’s father, Roger, a photographer, died of a heart attack at the age of 56, one month into LaBarge’s freshman year of college. He didn’t have life insurance.

LaBarge’s family has struggled financially since his father’s death, and the 20-year-old junior considered dropping out of college in order to help out his mother, who is disabled, and his brother Brett, a high school student.

But LaBarge, of McKees Rocks, received some help recently when he won $15,000 toward his college education from the nonprofit LIFE Foundation’s LIFE Lessons Scholarship Program.

This year, the foundation provided $125,000 in financial assistance to 24 students who have lost a parent or guardian and are trying to attend college.

In his essay, LaBarge described his personal struggles and challenges after losing his father without the benefit of life insurance.

“I got a call about a month after I submitted the essay and when I listened to the message, I was ecstatic when I heard I was the grand prize winner. I was jumping up and down in my room,” said LaBarge, who used the award to cover tuition and books for the semester.

It was welcome news for LaBarge, whose family had faced eviction from their home after the loss of his father’s income. Every day, they deal with the pressures of mounting bills and expenses since Roger died two years ago.

“My dad was a very laid-back guy, and the relationship we had was pretty close – closer than the usual because my dad was a cool enough person that I could buddy around with him,” said LaBarge. “He was so goofy, I always described him as being a big kid. He had impeccable taste in music, and we both liked the same shows.”

LaBarge said his father loved music, especially artists from the 1960s and ’70s, and he played records from his large collection every day. He created sound tracks for every holiday and special occasion.

LaBarge inherited his father’s love for music and listens to everything from classical music to Pink Floyd.

LaBarge wrote in his essay that the family led a typical middle-class life and took a summer beach vacation every couple of years.

“Up until my father passed, the most complicated financial transaction I had was putting money toward my car and paying toward the insurance. I didn’t have any scope of understanding of finances,” said LaBarge in a recent telephone interview.

LaBarge, a business management major who received Cal U.’s Student Leader Award, is taking extra credits and plans to attend winter, spring and summer semester classes in order to graduate early.

He works at a hobby shop every weekend to help pay for his college education. He is determined to graduate and is considering applying to law school. In his few spare moments, LaBarge likes to read.

“My time management has consistently gotten better. Really, it comes down to time management. Warren Buffett has 24 hours in a day and I have 24 hours in a day. It’s what you do with it. Time is the great equalizer,” LaBarge said.

He said he handles the stresses in his life by dealing only with the things he can change.

“I think, what are the things I can change and what are the things I can’t change. The things that you can’t change, throw them out and don’t worry about them,” he said. “The things that you can change, throw yourself at them and change them. Only worry about what you can control.”