This week Local 493 continued our commitment to our firefighting community through an event we are incredibly proud of—our annual scholarship ceremony. Over $70,000 was awarded to deserving graduating seniors to support their college education. Notably, five of these scholarships are four-year commitments, providing sustained support to the recipients over their college careers.
The ceremony was again led by Crystal McCracken who never fails to outdo herself on this program. Her attention to detail ensures the process, from the application to the ceremony itself, is flawlessly executed. This year, like every year, the process was incredibly competitive. Applicants, all children of firefighters, were required to write an essay on a fire service-related topic. The essays were compiled, names removed and assigned letters/numbers and evaluated by an external educational organization to ensure impartiality. The top scores received the highest-value scholarships, continuing down the line to award all scholarships available.
The 493 Firefighter Foundation funds the five, four-year scholarships in their entirety. The remainder of the scholarships are financed through a combination of 493 Firefighter Foundation funds and generous donations from our affinity groups and sworn firefighters, who individually establish scholarships in honor of influential figures in the fire service. A special thank you to Pat Cantelme, whose contributions to the fund have been monumental, ensuring the longevity of this impactful program.
Here are this year’s proud scholarship recipients:
- Pat Cantelme Scholarship: Austin Betts
- Duane Pell Scholarship: Cade Keller
- Benny Ashley Scholarship: Jonathan Kenders
- Jimmy Arcadia Scholarship: Logan Jacobsen
- Al Cruz Scholarship: Daphne Maroney
- Emerald Society Howard Adams Scholarship: Maureen Ulrich
- United Black Firefighters J.W. Robinson Scholarship: Luke Richards
- Valley Women’s FF Society Crystal Rezzonico Scholarship: Rylie Cunningham
- Kara Kalkbrenner Visionary Scholarship: Jillian McDonald
- Valley Hispanic Bomberos Tony Torres Scholarship: Micha Blackburn
- Valley Fire Fighter Veterans Society Claude Nelson Jr. Scholarship: Gavin Boggs
- Brian Beck Jr. Scholarship: Kate Patterson
- Stewart Family Scholarship: Naomi Bogue
- Mark Fowl Memorial Scholarship: Olivia Padron
- Brigid Dean Memorial Scholarship: Lauren Ramella
- Phoenix Fire Foundation Scholarship: Shea Burgess
- Douglas W. Mummert Community Service Scholarship: Noah Edgin
On behalf of the members of Local 493, we would like to extend a heartfelt congratulations to all the scholarship recipients and express our appreciation to everyone who applied.
Ben Lindquist
Executive VP, Local 493 - United Phoenix Firefighters
