Good afternoon I'm Jamie Schuster president of the Allicyn Schuster memorial foundation.
I first want to start by saying thank you for allowing us to be here today to share about Alli’s foundation. A special thank you to Kevin, Karen, Liz and Barry for helping us with this scholarship process and allowing us to present scholarships in Allicyn’s name today.
For those of you who don’t know; Allicyn was a third year apprentice when she died by suicide. She was 21 at the time and it shocked everyone who knew her. She wasn’t showing any outward signs of depression or that she was struggling.
The memorial foundation was created in 2021 after her death. Allicyn was incredibly passionate about all that she did; from her daily Scooters coffee, to her ability steal co-workers snacks straight from their hands or out of their lunch boxes. She was incredibly proud of becoming an electrician. She loved big, she was compassionate and always found a way to support those around her.
We want to continue that spirit by being a source of hope and healing for people who are facing tough times, especially when it comes to mental health.
We know when someone is struggling, you don’t always have time to wait for help or the energy to get through the red tape of insurance. Allicyn’s foundation focuses on cutting through those barriers and connecting people with support quickly. We have found that sometimes just knowing you’re not alone can make all the difference
Another area the foundation focuses on is empowering females in the trades. One of the ways we do this is through the Allicyn Schuster memorial scholarship. This scholarship is for women in the local who are showing dedication and growth to the trades. This year we had seven females apply, each were asked questions about their inspiration to becoming electricians, their goals for being females in the trades, why they felt they would be good candidates for the scholarship, and each were asked to share about a time they have overcome a challenge either in the trade or their personal life.
The top 4 applicants were chosen through an anonymous application process: by previous year's recipients. If any of those past recipients are here and would like to come forward while we present the awards you may do so now. Each of these winners will be receiving a $500 scholarship and one first year apprentice will be receiving an additional $300 to go towards the purchase of their laptop. Their names will also be added to the plaque that is hanging in the training center.
With that I would like to present the winners of the2025-2026 Allicyn Schuster Memorial Scholarships:
- Michelle K. $500
- Max S. $500
- Brooke J. $500
- Yaasmyn S. $800