Marie Appel grew up in a town of 300 in a lower, middle class family. She was the first in her family to go to college and scored a scholarship that allowed her to go to Harvard for only $8,000 for her entire four year education. While she was at Harvard, Marie earned extra money during various breaks by cleaning the dorms, specifically the showers, using a credit card to scrape off the soap scum on the walls. But she also participated in amazing experiences at Harvard, like the sailing team, which she believes helped her develop resilience, organization and teamwork -- life skills.
