On Tuesday, April 7, NPC Friends and Family will raise money for Northland Pioneer College (NPC) student scholarships during the annual statewide 24-hour AZ Gives Day online giving event for non-profit organizations.

The event highlights the need for NPC students who, despite challenges, are determined to persist in their college dreams. This year, NPC Friends and Family hopes to raise $50,000 in scholarships for NPC students.

“Poverty is endemic across the college's service area, yet our students are determined to empower themselves through education,” explains Jesse Reeck, the executive director for NPC Friends and Family. “Through increased job opportunities and earning power, NPC graduates are literally breaking the cycle of poverty, improving income, reducing dependence on welfare programs, and serving as an example to friends and family members that a college degree is attainable.”

NPC Friends and Family offers over 40 scholarship opportunities for those interested in or who are currently attending NPC. Many of the scholarships represent the legacies of lost loved ones from our Northeastern Arizona communities. These endowed scholarships have been created by the friends and family of those who are no longer with us to leave a lasting legacy in their name and benefit generations of NPC students to come.

This year, the White Mountain Fallen Firefighters Memorial Scholarship is one such endowment. It celebrates the lives of local firefighters whose lives have been lost in the line of duty.

Valeree Reidhead Claude was a native of Show Low, graduating from Show Low High School in 1990. She came to Northland Pioneer College (NPC) in 2003 to complete the Firefighting Academy and joined the Pinetop Fire Department that July as a firefighter and EMT. She loved her work, especially because of the service it provided to the people of her community. She passed away while on duty at Pinetop Fire Station #12 on June 24, 2005.

Valeree’s family and fellow firefighters worked together to establish the VAL 153 Memorial Scholarship in her honor, using her badge number in the name. The VAL 153 Memorial Scholarship has continued to be awarded these last twenty years through the generosity of donors like you and the ongoing support of the White Mountain Firefighters Association, Local 4217.

In addition to Valeree, the White Mountain Firefighting community has lost four other members in the line of duty: Gary Archibeque in 2004, and, most recently, in a devastating two months in the fall of 2025, Brenna Kulikowski, Damon Thompson, and Glenn Collins.

Brenna and Damon were also both graduates of Northland Pioneer College. Damon proudly completed NPC's Firefighter Academy in 2022, and Brenna finished the Firefighter Academy in 2021, followed by EMT training in 2022.

The dedication, courage, and service to our communities that all of these women and men exemplified reflect the very best of what it means to serve and protect. To honor the work and legacy of all of these civil servants, the VAL153 Memorial Scholarship is expanding to encompass all White Mountain Fallen Firefighters: Valeree, Gary, Brenna, Damon, and Glenn.

Memorial scholarships are always bittersweet. They create something positive out of grief and loss: honoring a beloved person and carrying on a legacy that keeps the life and work of that person alive through helping others.

This year, NPC Friends and Family is also raising funds for the Golden Eagle Scholarship. It celebrates the life of former NPC District Governing Board Member Frank Lucero, a longtime resident of Holbrook and advocate for education who passed away this past December. Frank exemplified public service and dedication to student success. He served the college as the Board Chair from 2017 to 2021 and as secretary in 2024. A Winslow High School graduate and NAU alumnus, he dedicated 35 years to public service as a probation officer with the Navajo County Superior Court and gave generously of his time to numerous community organizations.

For AZ Gives Day, donations are being collected to fund these scholarships and others. Frank’s leadership, wisdom, and commitment to education across northeastern Arizona will continue to impact students for generations to come. Valeree Reidhead Claude lives on through every student who has achieved their goals and dreams of becoming a firefighter or EMT with the help of the VAL 153 Memorial Scholarship. The White Mountain Fallen Firefighter Memorial Scholarship will continue to honor Valeree and the service and sacrifice of her fellow fallen firefighters. This award provides a path for the next generation of firefighters and EMTs to realize their dreams, grow their futures, and carry forward the lifesaving work of our local emergency services.

Over the past eleven years, NPC has had loyal support from many in the community. Those who have participated in this event in the past may know that some very exciting bonus prizes are awarded each year. Because NPC's per-credit tuition is the lowest of any college in Arizona's system, there is nowhere your gift will go further or help more students achieve their goal of a college education.

To donate in support of local student scholarships during the 24-hour AZ Gives event on April 7, visit www.npc.edu/az-gives.