Steamfitters Local 638 awards $36,000 in college scholarships

Shown (from left) are: Jennifer Goldberg, Samantha Vulin, Colin Rosa, John Koebel, Aimee Mullins and Jacob Spychalsky holding sweatshirts from the colleges they plan to attend in the fall.

New York, NY The Steamfitters Industry Scholarship Program recently awarded $36,000 in college scholarships to six high school seniors who have demonstrated academic excellence and support for important programs in their communities. Over $1.5 million has been given out to 285 students since the program began in 1967.

The scholarship recipients were recognized for their achievements at the 49th annual Steamfitters Scholarship Reception held at the New York City Fire Museum. Each student was presented with a $6,000 scholarship, an engraved silver bowl, an iPad mini and a sweatshirt representing the college they plan to attend.

The award recipients are sons and daughters of working, middle-class families who serve in the steamfitting industry.

They include:

Jennifer Goldberg, an honor roll student at Freehold High School in Freehold, NJ, will enter Seton Hall University’s six-year program to study special education and speech pathology.

Samantha Vulin, a student at Plainview-Bethpage John F. Kennedy High School in Plainview, NY, will study accounting at Hofstra University.

Colin Rosa, a National Honor Society student at St. John the Baptist High School in West Islip, will pursue a path in occupational therapy at the University of Scranton in Scranton, PA.

John Koebel, an honors student at Comsewogue High School in Port Jefferson Station, NY, will study education at Endicott College in Beverly, MA, and plans to become a math teacher.

Aimee Mullins, a National Honor Society student at Patchogue Medford High School in Patchogue, NY, will attend SUNY Binghamton to study biomedical anthropology.

Jacob Spychalsky, a student at Hicksville High School, plans to study mechanical engineering at Hofstra University, and then aspires to serve in the Army Corps of Engineers.

“We applaud these young scholars for their academic achievements, and I am so pleased that these awards will help them further their education and prepare for their careers. We are thrilled to honor the hard work of these children of working, middle-class families by helping to provide them with such great opportunities,” said Patrick Dolan, Steamfitters Local 638 President.

“For nearly half a century, this industry has come together to advance educational opportunities for working families and surpassing the $1.5 million mark in total scholarships granted is a rather significant contribution,” said Michael Russo, Mechanical Contractors Association of Greater New York President and Fresh Meadow Mechanical Corp. Owner.

“In an era when families sending their children to college expend an excess of $170,000 on a four-year private university, and $80,000 on a four-year public university, the MCA and Local 638 are pleased to extend this vital helping hand to students who excel academically and deserve the resources to pursue higher education,” said Anthony Saporito, Executive Vice President of Mechanical Contractors Association of New York, Inc.

“A college education carves a path to success to open doors for these students onto a world of possibilities in whatever field they choose. Each of these students’ academic resumes show they are driven and determined to achieve success, and the Steamfitters Scholarship is honored to support that,” said Robert Bartels, Jr., Steamfitters Local 638 Business Agent At Large.

The Steamfitting Industry Scholarship Competition is open each year to high school students who have a parent who is employed by an MCA firm or a member of Steamfitters Local 638. Six merit-based scholarships are awarded based on academic standing, with considerations given to extracurricular activities and volunteer work.

The Steamfitters Industry Scholarship Program is sponsored by the Steamfitting Industry Promotion Fund of New York and Long Island.