NVFC Announces Winners of National Junior Firefighter Scholarships

NVFC Announces Winners of National Junior Firefighter Scholarships

Program Supported by the Dunkin’ Brands Community Foundation
The National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC), in partnership with the Dunkin’ Brands Community Foundation, has selected 10 outstanding junior firefighters to receive a $5,000 scholarship through the National Junior Firefighter Scholarship and Grant Program. The departments of each of the scholarship recipients will also receive a $5,000 grant to support their junior firefighter programs. In total, the program has awarded $100,000, thanks to support from the Dunkin’ Brands Community Foundation.

“We are thrilled with the number of high quality applications we received,” said NVFC Executive Director Heather Schafer. “The Scholarship Review Committee faced a difficult task, but ultimately selected 10 applicants who serve as truly inspirational and outstanding examples of what it means to be a junior firefighter. These 10 individuals have gone above and beyond in their commitment and dedication to their programs, and they exemplify the future of the fire and emergency services. We are proud to partner with the Dunkin’ Brands Community Foundation to award these scholarships.”

Currently in its inaugural year, the scholarship and grant program has been an enormous success, and hundreds of junior firefighters applied for the competitive scholarships. In addition, the number of juniors and departments registered for the National Junior Firefighter Program has more than doubled since the scholarship application period opened.

“Throughout the country, Dunkin’ Donuts and Baskin-Robbins stores are great supporters of the fire departments that protect our communities,” said Paul Leech, co-chair of the Dunkin’ Brands Community Foundation. “With these scholarships, the Dunkin’ Brands Community Foundation is recognizing 10 youths who have shown amazing dedication to serving their communities and being part of the next generation of fire service leaders.”

Winning junior firefighters and their departments will be honored during Firehouse Expo on July 24 at the Baltimore (MD) Convention Center at 1:30 p.m. in the Ballroom. Recipients will receive travel to the event courtesy of the Dunkin’ Brands Community Foundation, along with complimentary admission courtesy of Firehouse Expo. The ceremony is open to all Firehouse Expo attendees.

The recipients of the scholarships in alphabetical order are as follows:

Natasha Boger
Gold Hill, NC
East Gold Hill Volunteer Fire Department
A junior firefighter for over two years, Natasha has completed 15 fire-related courses and is only seven courses away from being a certified level 2 firefighter. She has logged over 400 hours as a junior. Natasha plans on attending North Carolina State University majoring in Civil Engineering.

Ethan Goodman
Dixon, MO
Dixon Rural Fire Protection District
A junior firefighter for over two years, Ethan has completed over 486 hours of training. He was named Firefighter of the Year twice. Ethan plans on attending Rolla Technical Institute with a major in vocational heating and cooling.

Elias Klar
Juda, WI
Juda Community Fire Department
A junior firefighter for over four years, Elias is a recipient of the President’s Volunteer Service Award. He is an Eagle Scout and plans on attending Abilene Christian University in Abilene, TX, majoring in Business.

Jennifer Krawetzky
Manchester, CT
Coventry Volunteer Fire Association
Jennifer has been a junior firefighter for four years and served as a Medical Response Technician with over 300 response hours. Jennifer recently completed her EMT certification and plans on attending the University of Connecticut with a major in Biology.

Andrew Livingston
Fletcher, NC
Mills River Volunteer Fire & Rescue
Andrew has been a junior firefighter for almost four years and serves as Fire Chief of the Junior Fire Brigade. Andrew plans on attending North Carolina State University with a double major of Business Management and Fire Science.

Brittany Philpott
Johnsonville, NY
Johnsonville Volunteer Fire Company
Brittany was a junior member of the Explorer Post for four years and has served as its President. She has been an active firefighter for two years. Brittany continued her membership in the Explorer Post and remains a role model and mentor to the Post Officers and new younger members. She plans on attending Hudson Valley Community College and majoring in Business Administration.

Steven Reeves
Theodosia, MO
Theodosia Area Volunteer Fire Department
A junior firefighter for over three years, Steven was the first junior in his program and was instrumental in the recruitment of the remainder of the juniors. Steven plans on attending the University of Missouri-Columbia and majoring in Engineering.

Kayla Sulla
Great Neck, NY
Great Neck Alert Fire Company
A junior firefighter for close to five years, Kayla has been an active firefighter for two and half years. Kayla attained the rank of Captain, the highest in the junior program. She started a volunteer organization called Preserve America, based on her view that volunteering is one of America’s core values and is important to preserve. She remains active in the junior department as an advisor. Kayla will be entering her junior year at Long Island University and is majoring in Public Relations.

Kelsey Tripp
Fairview Heights, IL
Fairview Fire Department
A junior firefighter for four years, Kelsey serves as the Chief of her junior program. According to the laws of Illinois, she must wait until she is 20 years old to apply to become an active firefighter and to complete her level II certification. Kelsey will be attending Southwestern Illinois College and majoring in Fire Science.

Ashley Wilson
Clayton, DE
Clayton Fire Company, No. 1
A junior firefighter for three years, Ashley was named Junior Firefighter of the Year in 2006 and won the Governor’s Youth Service Award in 2007 for her dedication to the Clayton Fire Company. In addition to the completion of numerous fire related courses, Ashley is certified in CPR/AED. She will be attending Alderson Broaddus College in Philippi, WV, and majoring in Nursing.

The NVFC and Dunkin’ Brands Community Foundation extend a heartfelt congratulations to each of these deserving scholarship recipients, and a thank you to all who applied. Learn more about the National Junior Firefighter Program at www.nvfc.org/juniors.


About the National Junior Firefighter Program
The NVFC National Junior Firefighter Program provides resources and tools to fire and EMS departments to help them establish, expand, and manage a local youth participation program. It also motivate youth participants by helping them locate a local program, track their participation hours, earn incentive rewards, and makes them eligible for the National Junior Firefighter Scholarships. The program addresses retention and recruitment challenges by getting youth involved in the fire and emergency services, thus fostering a lifelong connection with the emergency services that will continue throughout their adulthood. The National Junior Firefighter Program is supported by the Dunkin’ Brands Community Foundation and Spartan Motors, Inc. Learn more at www.nvfc.org/juniors.

About The Dunkin’ Brands Community Foundation The Dunkin’ Brands Community Foundation brings together a wide network of stakeholders, including Dunkin’ Donuts and Baskin-Robbins franchisees, crew members and employees, to support the service and leadership of emergency response organizations – especially in times of crisis. The Foundation supports emergency responders by providing financial assistance, building capacity, developing partnerships, encouraging volunteerism and honoring local heroes. To learn more about the Dunkin’ Brands Community Foundation please visit www.dunkinbrands.com/foundation.