Foundation Surpasses $1 Million in Academic Scholarships Awarded

Funeral Service Foundation Awards $95,000 in Academic Scholarships to 33 Students in spring 2025

Brookfield, Wisconsin – Thanks to the generosity of its donors, the Funeral Service Foundation awarded 33 academic scholarships this spring totaling $95,000 to students across the United States and Canada. This milestone brings the Foundation’s total academic scholarship awards to more than $1 million since the program’s inception in 2002.

“Donating more than one million dollars to such an important cause—the future of the profession—is at the heart of the Foundation’s mission,” said John Heald, Chair of the Funeral Service Foundation. “Investing in funeral service students who will strengthen and shape the profession has been incredibly meaningful to the Foundation and its supporters.”

Since awarding its first academic scholarship, the Joseph E. Hagan Memorial Scholarship, in 2002, the Foundation has established additional scholarships in memory of Shipley Rose Buckner; Mark Hornibrook and Harry Pontone; Steve Mack; Louis and Josephine Pontone; Dennis Schoepp; Todd Van Beck; Jack Springer (with CANA); and Edward J. Fitzgerald (with APFSP); and in honor of John Carmon, Bob Horn, Steve Lang, and Funeral Directors Life.

Additionally, the Memorial Classic Scholarships are supported by proceeds from the annual Tom Johnson Memorial Classic golf tournament, while Foundation ’45 Scholarships honor the Foundation’s founding year, 1945. The Foundation also promotes the Brenda Renee Horn and Steve Mack Memorial Scholarships in partnership with the SCI National Scholarship Program.

This spring, the Foundation awarded 33 scholarships, which included 19 named scholarships honoring or memorializing funeral service professionals, 12 from the Foundation ’45 Fund, and two scholarships awarded to military veterans through the Journey to Serve initiative, in partnership with the ICCFA Educational Foundation.

The Foundation’s academic scholarship program runs in two annual cycles – spring and fall. The next application window is September 15 – April 1.

Academic Scholarship Spring Class of 2025:

Foundation ’45 Scholarship | $5,000

Anna Bruess, Roseville, Minnesota (University of Minnesota – Program of Mortuary Science)
Cecilia Fajardo, Downey, California (Cypress College – Mortuary Science Department)
Christine Jesoraldo, Beverly, Massachusetts (North Shore Community College – Funeral Service Program)
Brashad Young, Edna, Texas (Gupton-Jones College of Funeral Service)

Dennis Schoepp Memorial Scholarship | $2,500

Kyle Gooch, Havre, Montana (Arapahoe Community College – Mortuary Science Program)

APFSP/Fitzgerald Memorial Scholarship | $2,500

Ethan Yoder, Sioux City, Iowa (Des Moines Area Community College – Mortuary Science Program)

Bob Horn Scholarship | $2,500

Dave Dockweiler, Yorktown Heights, New York (American Academy McAllister Institute of Funeral Service Education)

CANA/Jack Springer Memorial Scholarship | $2,500

Christopher Bobo, Le Roy, New York (Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science)

Foundation ’45 Scholarship | $2,500

Alexandra Allen-Byam, Peterborough, New Hampshire (FINE Mortuary College – Funeral Service)
Stephany Garber Black, Delta, British Columbia Canada (Canadian College of Funeral Service)
Taryn Dallas, Corona, California (Cypress College – Mortuary Science Department)
Jelene Eliassen, Lynnwood, Washington (Lake Washington Institute of Technology – Funeral Service Education)
Aylissa Koskey, McKeesport, Pennsylvania (Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science)
Marina Shafer, Bella Vista, Arkansas (Commonwealth Institute of Funeral Service)
Erika Stark, Catonsville, Maryland (Community College of Baltimore County-Catonsville – Mortuary Science Program)
Cora Tinker, Wethersfield, Connecticut (Goodwin University – Funeral Service Program)

Funeral Directors Life Memorial Scholarship | $2,500

Nora Derthick, Galloway, Ohio (Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science)

John Carmon Scholarship | $2,500

Linda Barajas, Kissimmee, Florida (Florida State College at Jacksonville – Funeral Service Program)

Joseph E. Hagan Memorial Scholarship | $2,500

Simone Fournier, North Providence, Rhode Island (Cape Cod Community College – Funeral Service Program)

Louis & Josephine Pontone Memorial Scholarship | $2,500

Francis Murphy, Salem, Massachusetts (North Shore Community College – Funeral Service Program)

Memorial Classic Scholarship | $2,500

Marvin Laurel, Decatur, Georgia (Gupton-Jones College of Funeral Service)
Johanna Trenter, Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada (Canadian College of Funeral Service)
Christie White, River Ridge, Louisiana (Delgado Community College – Funeral Service Education)

NGL – Harry Pontone Memorial Scholarship | $2,500

Jane Baden, Washington, District of Columbia (University of District of Columbia Community College – Mortuary Science Program)
Ly’Geria Mathis, Lithonia, Georgia (Gupton-Jones College of Funeral Service)

NGL – Mark Hornibrook Memorial Scholarship | $2,500

Dustin Mangum, West Jordan, Utah (Arapahoe Community College – Mortuary Science Program)
Graham Myrfield, Nanoose Bay, British Columbia, Canada (British Columbia Funeral Association and Funeral Service Association of BC)

Shipley Rose Buckner Memorial Scholarship | $2,500

Bryn Cleary, Savage, Minnesota (University of Minnesota – Program of Mortuary Science)

Steve Lang Scholarship (Homesteaders) | $2,500.00

Stanley Murray, Alexander, North Carolina (Fayetteville Technical Community College – Funeral Service Education)

Steve Mack Memorial Scholarship | $2,500.00

Brelan Holston, Conyers, Georgia (John A. Gupton College – Funeral Service Programs)

Todd Van Beck Memorial Scholarship | $2,500.00

Veronica Rapier, Chandler, Arizona (Chandler-Gilbert Community College – Mortuary Science Program)

Academic Scholarship for Veterans:

The Funeral Service Foundation, in partnership with the ICCFA Educational Foundation, offers academic scholarships to United States and Canadian military veterans, as part of the Journey to Serve initiative. Offered twice a year, scholarships range from $2,500-$5,000 and are available to military veterans who are 18 years of age or older at the time of application and who are currently enrolled (or accepted into) in an ABFSE-accredited funeral service program. Learn more about the Journey to Serve at www.JourneyToServe.com.

Journey to Serve Scholarship | $5,000

Roderick Ward, Jacksonville, North Carolina (Fayetteville Technical Community College – Funeral Service Education)

Hunter M. Harbeson Memorial Scholarship | $2,500

Derek Shilling, Silver Lake, Indiana (Mid-America College of Funeral Service)

In Their Words:
In their own words, scholarship recipients express what this support means to them as they prepare to serve their communities through funeral service.

“As a woman entering this field, I am especially inspired by the way that this scholarship uplifts and empowers women to pursue a career in funeral service. It recognizes the unique perspectives, resilience and empathy, that women bring to this profession. It also helps pave the way for us to grow as leaders, caregivers and advocates for the communities we serve.”

Bryn Cleary, Shipley Rose Buckner Scholar

“After spending over a decade serving my community as a deputy and later as a sergeant, I’ve seen firsthand the emotional toll that death takes on families. That experience sparked something in me. I realized I wanted to continue helping people, but in a different way, by guiding them through grief and loss with compassion and care. Funeral service allows me to do just that. It’s a calling I feel strongly about, and one that gives me purpose.

Balancing this new path hasn’t been easy. I’m a full-time public servant, a husband and father of two children. Between work, family, life and school, there are lots of demands on my time and energy. This scholarship helps relieve some of the financial pressure and in doing so, gives me pace to stay focused on my studies and training. It’s a gift not just to me, but to my whole family.”

Stanley Murray, Steve Lang Scholar

“I have a strong passion for restorative arts, and I believe in the deep healing that comes from helping families see their loved ones at peace. This scholarship allows me to further develop these skills with focus and dedication, so I can serve each family with compassion, care, and professionalism.”

Christie White, Memorial Classic Scholar

“Funeral service is more than a career to me; it is a calling. I am deeply committed to serving families with compassion, dignity and respect during some of the most difficult moments of their lives. With the support of the Funeral Service Foundation, I feel even more empowered to pursue this meaningful work and uphold the values that define this remarkable profession.”

Brashad Young, Foundation ’45 Scholar

“Choosing to pursue a career in funeral service is not something I take lightly. It is a vocation built on compassion, reverence and the quiet strength to serve individuals and families through moments of profound grief. Your support allows me to continue my education with more focus, intention and passion. It gives me the space to truly grow into the kind of professional I aspire to be, one who is informed, ethical and deeply human in their work.”

Alexandra Byam, Foundation ’45 Scholar

“As a retiring Hospital Corpsman and a student at Fayetteville Technical Community College, I am committed to serving families during their time of greatest need with compassion, professionalism and dignity. Your support is more than just financial assistance, it is an affirmation of the path I have chosen. It encourages me to continue carrying the values of honor, service and dedication from my military experience into my career in funeral service. “

Roderick Ward, Journey to Serve Scholar

FOUNDATION SCHOLARSHIPS NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS OR OPENING SOON:

CANA 107^th Cremation Innovation Convention: Applications close May 29, 2025. Visit https://fsfapply.smapply.org/prog/cana_convention_scholarships.

2025 NFDA International Convention & Exposition: Applications will open June 2, 2025, and close July 24, 2025. Visit https://www.funeralservicefoundation.org/scholarship-opportunities/nfda-international-convention-expo-scholarships/.

ABOUT THE FUNERAL SERVICE FOUNDATION – FuneralServiceFoundation.org
Since 1945, the Funeral Service Foundation has served as the philanthropic voice of the funeral profession and has identified as the charitable arm of the National Funeral Directors Association since 1997. Donors and volunteer leaders profession-wide support the Foundation in its mission of lifting up grieving communities by investing in people and programs that strengthen funeral service.