MaryElisabeth Rustowicz honored by Firemen’s Assn.

The Firemen’s Assn. of the State of New York (FASNY) recently awarded the 2017 FASNY Gerard J. Buckenmeyer Volunteer Scholarship to MaryElisabeth Rustowicz of Grand Island, NY.

MaryElisabeth received a certificate and scholarship of $1,500 for her volunteer service in the community from FASNY representative Edward Tase at Grand Island Fire Company earlier this summer.

“I decided to become a cadet because I have always grown up around ‘the hall.’ It seemed like a great opportunity to learn about first aid and firefighting, while at the same time giving back to my community,” said Rustowicz, whose brother and sister also went through cadet training.

Rustowicz plans to attend Niagara University in the fall and major in childhood education and adolescent English. She is involved in other aspects of her community, including St. Stephen’s Parish Players and the McCarthy School of Irish Dance, where she has been Irish dancing since the age of four. In school, she is class president, Student Council vice president, and president of Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD). She has also participated on the cross country, basketball, and outdoor track teams.

Following her father, Rustowicz joined her local fire department, Grand Island Fire Company and was also a member of U-Crest for five years prior to joining. She hopes to continue serving her community through the fire department and will eventually pursue a Masters of Education and a career in teaching.

MaryElisabeth said, “This scholarship will be such a great help in my education. I am the fifth child in my family to attend college, so any financial support I receive is much appreciated. I am honored to be the recipient of such a prestigious scholarship from FASNY, a group of individuals who are so giving of their time to others.”