In 2021, the From Tragedy to Triumph Foundation (FTTTF) created a school scholarship opportunity for the burn survivor community. The Caper Brown Memorial Scholarship, supported by Camp I Am Me, provides funds for those with financial need when they are accepted into an accredited post-secondary institution. This opportunity is made available to only those who are current or former Camp I Am Me Summer Camp campers who meet the FTTTF criteria, including being a burn survivor, a resident of Illinois or surrounding state, and is a high school senior or having a high school diploma. The awards are based on the required essay, academic performance, community service, economic need, career/life aspirations, and the impact their burn injury had on their life.
2025’s recipient of the Caper Brown Memorial Scholarship, Amayah Myszak, is a determined young woman passionate about helping children. As a seventh grader, she was badly burned at a birthday party when her friend’s father tried to revive a fire using gasoline. It exploded right in front of her, setting her on a many months journey of recovery between Loyola Burn Center in Maywood and Shriner’s Hospital in Boston. Amayah credits Camp I Am Me for giving her a place to feel accepted and loved after her injuries and continues to return every year, now as a camp counselor. The people she has met along the way as a burn survivor have inspired her to pursue a career in Child Development, continuing her college career this coming fall at Texas Woman’s University.
Congratulations and good luck Amaya!