The New Melle Fire Rescue firefighters have a private account, the Firefighters Fund, which is funded from time to time with donations from the public or from small fundraisers of their own. This account is in no way funded from any tax dollars.
The New Melle Fire Rescue volunteer and paid firefighters decided for a seventh year in a row that they wished to offer a scholarship opportunity from their Firefighters Fund, which could be applied for by any resident within the geographic district covered by NMFPD. The opportunity was open to anyone, regardless of age, who was applying for any higher education program. While this scholarship could be applied to a full-time college education program, it could just as well be applied to a technical school curriculum or an EMT course, etc.
In addition, the full-time paid firefighters of New Melle FPD decided to chip in and offer an additional donation from their own separate fund, again a private account that is in no way funded from tax dollars. They were motivated to do this based on the significant public response to the program last year, and their additional donation enabled the department to match last year’s scholarship total of $1,000. This year, the $1,000 will be offered as two (2) $500 scholarships, benefiting two (2) recipients.
A firefighter-based committee recently reviewed the eligible applications received. The review process this year was a significant challenge, as always. The applicants had outstanding records of academic achievement, along with profiles of numerous extracurricular and volunteer activities. Many accomplished all that while working part time as well. But after much deliberation, the committee determined that the recipients of the $500 scholarships offered this year are Matthew Shipley of 12 Cherry Orchard Ct., and Alec Thompson of 515 Callaway Ridge Dr., both in Defiance.
NEW MELLE FPD FIREFIGHTER JEFF CAPSTICK (LEFT) PRESENTS MATTHEW SHIPLEY WITH SCHOLARSHIP CHECK FROM NEW MELLE FPD FIREFIGHTERS FUND
Matthew Shipley is currently enrolled as a freshman at St. Charles Community College, majoring in Accounting. After completing his Associates Degree, he plans to transfer to the University of Missouri to continue in their five year Masters of Accounting program, and then pursue a career in public accounting.
Matthew has worked in various part-time jobs in the community ever since his junior year in high school, and was involved in numerous volunteer programs in the community at both Daniel Boone Elementary and with the Boy Scouts. While both working and volunteering, he managed to attain the rank of Eagle Scout, graduated summa cum laude at Francis Howell High, and was senior class VP there along with involvement in various scholastic and honor organizations, including competing as a Delta Epsilon Chi leadership delegate at district, state and national levels.
Alec Thompson (not pictured) attends Francis Howell High, and has aspirations to initially attain an undergraduate degree in biology from Saint Louis University, and then apply for medical school at Washington University. She is member of National Honor Society, and has accumulated a 3.96 GPA at FHS.
Alec regularly volunteers her time at Daniel Boone Elementary helping teachers, and has helped rebuild a fallen church in the Wright City area. She has also worked part-time at Wind Ridge Farms.
She lists her goal to become a doctor as her greatest determination. She knows that it is a long scholastic road, but states that it is her life long goal to help others, and thinks this is the most productive way to do so.
We have some talented, hard-working young people in our small community, and Matthew Shipley and Alec Thompson are surely two of them. The New Melle Fire Rescue firefighters congratulate Matthew and Alec on their commendable successes to date, and wish them all the best in future collegiate work. They also wish to thank all of the other scholarship applicants for their submissions, and wish them the best in their future endeavors as well.
