Kirsti Walley, 2019 FASNY Gerard J. Buckenmeyer Volunteer Scholarship recipient. (Photo provided by the Firemen’s Association of the State of New York).
This is a press release from the Firemen’s Association of the State of New York (FASNY).
The Firemen’s Association of the State of New York (FASNY) has awarded the 2019 FASNY Gerard J. Buckenmeyer Volunteer Scholarship to Kristi Walley of Cortland County, NY. Walley received a certificate and scholarship of $1,500 for her volunteer service in the community.
"This scholarship is huge for me. At a young age my two brothers and I were taken in by my aunt and uncle, who had two children of their own, as well as another foster child. My aunt is a disabled police officer and my uncle works at a nursing home facility, so we learned to live paycheck to paycheck,” said Walley. “Even if we didn’t have much we understood the importance of giving back all that we could offer. This scholarship will play a huge role in making sure I’m financially stable for my college career.”
Walley plans to attend SUNY Broome in the fall where she intends to study nursing in the hopes of becoming a trauma nurse.
Outside of the firehouse she participates in softball, basketball, and soccer. She also is part of Technical National Honor Society, 4-H Teen Council, and her school news paper, where she writes sports articles.
Walley is one of 26 students chosen for this scholarship.
“Volunteering in the fire service has changed me completely. If someone is thinking of joining, I would tell them to follow their gut feeling, but to know it is a lot of hard work but extremely rewarding,” said Walley. “The fire service has helped me find what I wanted to do with my life and I found my passion for helping people. I know without joining the fire service I would not be as proud of the person I am today.”
Scholarships are awarded on the basis of an applicant’s volunteer service to his or her community, such as serving with a local fire department, scouting, church, school, work with senior citizens, fire prevention, and other projects. Additional criteria include consistent demonstration of good character and completion of a written essay.
The Gerard J. Buckenmeyer FASNY Volunteer Scholarship program is made possible each June through the generous donations of individuals, fire departments and auxiliaries. This year, Provident Agency Inc., the provider of the accidental death and dismemberment insurance for FASNY members, has again provided major underwriting support to help FASNY award scholarships to young volunteers. FASNY would also like to recognize the in-kind support donated by McNeil and Co., which provides more than 80 hours of administrative work needed to process the applications and awards.
