About the Program

The ASSP Foundation Family Scholarship Fund was established in 2013 to support families affected by a workplace tragedy. This scholarship, available to spouses and children who have lost a loved one in a workplace incident, provides educational funding to minimize the financial impact of their loss and encourage continuing education. As safety professionals continue to make a greater impact, fewer people will experience such tragedies, but until then we need to step up. Please share this program with anyone you know who may benefit from it.

To Apply

Every day, members of the American Society of Safety Professionals strive to protect their fellow workers. Our members embrace this profession so that millions of workers around the words can go home, safe and sound.

Nothing can replace the loss suffered by you and your family. Our hearts are with you. We want to support you and your family and encourage you to continue on your educational path in honor of your loved one.

The ASSP Foundation created the Family Scholarship to release some burden and minimize the financial impact of your family’s loss while encouraging continuing education.

What is required to apply?

The ASSP Foundation Family Scholarship Fund is available to children and spouses of individuals who lost their lives in a workplace incident. *

Applicants:

  • Will need to provide incident background and documentation for verification.
  • Must be a full-time or part-time student enrolled in a university, community college, or trade/vocational school
  • If enrolled in high school, students must provide proof of university acceptance
  • Must supply transcripts of current university program or high school transcripts
  • Must be studying in the United States (citizenship not required)
  • Will need to provide a 300-to-500-word essay discussing how the incident affected you and in what ways the Family Scholarship will benefit you and your future

The ASSP Foundation will review each application on an individual basis and will contact applicants with additional details or questions.

Apply for a Family Scholarship

Questions? Contact us at asspfoundation@assp.org.

*The ASSP Foundation is grateful for the exceptional service of the men and women who serve in the US military. Thirteen scholarships in our academic program give priority to applicants with a military background. The Family Scholarship Fund criteria do not include military personnel lost.

Family Scholarship Recipients

Brandon Morrow

"Many days I only got out of bed because my girls needed me too and I often woke up wishing I hadn't because that meant the nightmare was real. I can not thank you enough for awarding my family the scholarship for such a generous amount. It will go a long way and be instrumental in ensuring the girls and I can stay constructively busy. I find myself avoiding talking about the subject of what we have been through because it usually weighs heavy in those who hear the story, however it is important and drives me to make safe decisions and cultivate a safe workplace culture."

Brianna Fariello

"Losing my dad has turned my mom, my sisters, and myself into strong individuals and we have kept going for him. I am so thankful to be awarded this scholarship and I am even more thankful to the family of Samantha Wooten who have chosen to pursue her legacy. This award is going to help me jumpstart my life and begin leaving my own legacy."

Isaac Adams

"As one can imagine my dad’s accident has been a very emotional matter for almost all family members and coworkers alike. There is no doubt that this is the hardest thing I have had to encounter in my life so far and maybe even as a whole. I already miss and will continue to miss doing all the things we did together over the years, and I will forever hold and cherish the memories and time that I got to spend with him. It has been weird trying to adjust to the new lifestyle without someone that I have known my entire life. It is something that I am still saddened by today and not a day goes by that I don’t miss him even more. While not a situation or circumstance that any of us want to find each other in; it is good to know that somewhere there are people that understand exactly as I do. "

Kaley Renslow

Thanks to your donations, the gap is not only bridged financially, but also lifts such a heavy burden from the lives of those affected by the loss of a loved one in workplace tragedies. I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for bridging this gap for me. I hope to follow in your footsteps one day and stand in the gap for others.

Kriseira Lamas-Krauletz

"Since losing my father, I have been an advocate for grief support services, especially for low-income people and Spanish speakers such as myself. I also began advocating for worker safety, since protections for immigrant workers are less stringent than for U.S. citizens, and immigrant worker safety can go overlooked. This scholarship has allowed me to focus on activities that are meaningful to me and will help progress my career, including volunteering at a children's grief camp. I intend to honor his legacy and sacrifices through my pursuit of higher education."

Lindsey Pinkerton

"He showed me how to look at the world through the eyes of an artist. He made me a priority and set me up for success. So when he died, I made a conscious decision to continue to include him in my life. I’ve used the skills he taught me to express how I felt, and it made the hurt tangible and more approachable. Now I’m learning to help others unload the heavy weight of grief."

Lizabeth Fellhoelter

"My dad was my hero and was the one who inspired me into going into the career I am currently pursuing. While working on projects together, he taught me everything that I know today. My life has forever changed, and a big hole was left in my heart. After his passing, I knew I had to continue school so that I could finish my degree in memory of him."

Mark Rule

"With this scholarship, I will be able to focus on school and not have to worry about the stress of student loans or working to pay for college expenses; most importantly, I won’t have to rely on my mom to help pay for things. I want my mom to focus on herself and use her money to take of herself and her future. My dad would be working extra, extra jobs to help pay for my college, as well as college for my three sisters, and I don’t want my mom to have to worry about any of that. My dad was an amazing dad, person, and police officer and strived to help others. I am grateful to him for instilling those traits in me as well and for people like you who do the same."

Samantha Wooten

"I received a phone call that would forever change my life, my mother’s life, my brother’s life, my daughter’s life, and the lives of everyone who loved my dad. I try day-in and day-out to give my father a voice and help ensure this type of incident doesn’t happen to another person. I also want to build the best life possible for me and my 6-year-old daughter. Putting an emphasis on education is a great way to do that."

Wendy Coronel

"This scholarship encourages students like me to continue their education and do something with it when they finish their accomplishments. It gives us hope to change lives even when no one sees us."

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