27 Vantagepoint Memorial Scholarships Awarded at Annual Luncheon
Surviving children and spouses of public sector employees who died in the line of duty were recently awarded Vantagepoint Public Employee Memorial Scholarship Fund scholarships at a special luncheon, sponsored by ICMA-RC.
Sixteen current and past scholarship recipients attended the June 21 luncheon held in San Mateo, CA where they had the opportunity to meet each other and be honored together. Officials from the public sector, scholarship partners, scholarship donors and ICMA-RC executives also attended. For the 2005/2006 school year, 27 survivors are receiving scholarships totaling $90,000 from the Fund, including 10 recipients from Concerns of Police Survivors, Inc. who will be will announced later this month.
2004 and 2005 Vantagepoint Memorial Scholarship recipients who attended the Annual Award Luncheon in San Mateo, CA appear (standing L to R): Christina Giacomelli, Lucretia Helms, Michael Fields, Jessica Fiore, Ryan Darling, Kimberly Benge, Marisa Wilcom, Megan Bolhouse, Karen Woodrell, Samantha Mahar, Francesca Pine, (kneeling L to R): Madison Clark, Valesia Daniels, Jessica Rivera and Alex Tozzo. Not pictured: Summer Holman.
Joan McCallen, president of the Vantagepoint Memorial Scholarship Fund and CEO and president of ICMA-RC, addresses the audience.
Mike Taylor, national second vice president, Grand Lodge Fraternal Order of Police presents the keynote address.
ICMA-RC founded The Vantagepoint Public Employee Memorial Scholarship Fund in 2001 to honor the sacrifice of public sector employees who gave so much to their communities and who paid the ultimate price for their service.
“As a corporation that offers products and services solely to the public sector, it is more than appropriate that we spearhead the effort to help survivors of public service employees who have paid the ultimate price,” said Joan McCallen, President of the Fund and CEO and President of ICMA-RC. “The scholarships will provide support to children and spouses of public sector employees who want to pursue their education.”
At the award luncheon, Mike Taylor, national second vice president, Grand Lodge Fraternal Order of Police provided a moving keynote address in which he noted the sacrifices the families have made. “As a police officer, but more importantly as a husband and as a father, I try not to lose sight of the others who became victims of these tragic line of duty deaths,” Taylor said. “I try not to lose sight of those who are left behind. The ones, who now must pick up the pieces and move on. The ones who allowed and made it possible for their loved ones to serve as they did. The families, the survivors! Your sacrifices are little noticed by the public, but the sacrifices you made by allowing your loved one to serve are many.” [read Mike Taylor’s speech.]
As of this year, the Scholarship Fund will have provided 87 students with scholarships worth over $340,000. Scholarship applicants are identified through a variety of sources including participating employers of ICMA-RC, the National Fraternal Order of Police, the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation, Concerns of Police Survivors, Inc. and the National Forum for Black Public Administrators.
The Fund is a Section 501(c)(3) public charity founded by ICMA-RC in 2001. ICMA-RC and its financial services partners and vendors provide financial support for the scholarships.
Following are the 2005/2006 Scholarship award recipients:
| Evan D. Payne Barnhart | Tennessee Temple University |
|---|---|
| Susan Blackmore | Molloy College |
| Madison Clark | Southern Nazarene University |
| Robert Crutchfield | Danville Community College |
| Valesia Daniels | Rhema Bible Training Center |
| Ryan Darling | California Polytechnic State University |
| Kimberly Dingwall | New England Technical Institute |
| Amanda Elkins | Biola University |
| Jeremy Elkins | Western University of Health Sciences |
| Michael Fields | Texas State University at San Marcos |
| Jessica Fiore | Boston College |
| Justine Fitzgerald | Salem State College |
| Christina Giacomelli | Saint Mary’s College of California |
| Lucretia Helms | Kansas State University |
| LaVar Merrell | Knox College |
| Jason A. Miller | Iowa Western Community College |
| Meghan Minehan | Loyola University |
| Brianna Noyes | Northeastern University |
| Megan O’Brien | Brown College |
| Natasha Palmer | Art Institute of Atlanta |
| Richard Roberts | Indiana University of Pennsylvania |
| Constance J. Searles-Myers | University of Phoenix |
| Lauren Smith | Frostburg State University |
| Gina Vinecourt, | Brenneke School of Massage |
| Brooke Wagner, | Creighton University |
| Andrew White, | Rose Hulman School of Engineering |
| Marisa Wilcom | Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University |
- See photos and read the bios of this year’s recipients.
- See additional photos from this year’s award luncheon.
Applications for the 2006/2007 school year will be accepted from January 1 – March 31, 2006. Additional information about the scholarship can be found at www.vantagescholar.org.