Simone Decker
Hayley Taggart
Teagan Wasserman
Elisabeth Marciano
Madison Miller
Simone Decker
Graduate 2022
Pepperdine University
2018 Scholarship Recipient
“There is no try, only do!” my father would exclaim as he succeeded at a time-consuming home repair or carried a heavy moving box up umpteen flights of stairs. This phrase is my father’s spin on Yoda’s most famous catchphrase. My father has always taught me that life rewards those who do their best, work hard, and never give up. He is the most hardworking, adaptive, and persistent person that I know. I’m proud to say that I inherited my can-do approach to life from him.
In high school, I excelled academically and overachieved in extracurriculars, which paid o with acceptance letters from my top choice universities and scholarships, including the LAFD Merit Scholarship. At 17, I was overwhelmed with gratitude for the opportunities I had been presented with, and excited about starting my college career.
After interning in Congress and working on a handful of political campaigns, I felt pretty certain that I wanted a career in politics. I packed up my life and shipped it across the country to Washington, D.C. to begin university. My friends, family, and generous scholarship support made all of these sudden life changes feel a little less terrifying.
In my first semester of college, I continued to excel academically, got involved with clubs, and interviewed for competitive internships, but couldn’t help feeling that things were quickly falling apart. I was more homesick than most of my peers and felt deeply misaligned with the culture and career of politics around me. Ultimately, I made the decision to transfer universities and change majors. My decision was met with some criticism and judgment, but also with unwavering support from my family. Many moving boxes later, I followed my intuition and transferred to Pepperdine University where I completed my degree in Advertising and Psychology with Summa Cum Laude honors.
In tough moments when I doubted my decisions or felt like giving up, I could hear my father’s famous, “There is no try, only do!”, which always pushed me to choose adapting over collapsing, and persevering over pausing. Thanks to my father, I know that life’s unpredictability is best met with hard work, perseverance, and optimistic adaptation. At 23, I’m eternally grateful for the LAFD Merit Scholarship, my family, friends, and everyone in between who believed in me and encouraged me to chase my ever-evolving dreams.
Hayley Taggart
Graduate 2020
Utah State University
2016 Scholarship Recipient
I knew from a very young age that my goal in life was to help people. Part of that was being the oldest of five children and stepping into that caretaker roll early on. A lot of that also came from my experience helping in nurseries, preschools, and babysitting that honed my skills working with people of all ages. But maybe the biggest part was hearing stories about how my dad showed up to work every day to help people in the LAFD since I was born.
Through high school my passion turned to furthering my education as a teacher so I could help students. I took Culinary Arts classes throughout high school and thought of how helpful it would be to teach students basic skills like cooking, sewing and other important life skills. I decided to attend Utah State University and their Family and Consumer Sciences Education program because I knew that they had an excellent program that would let me graduate with my teaching license in four years. However, as the oldest of five, I wasn’t quite sure how to pay for it. That is when my dad helped me fill out the application LAFD Merit Scholarship and sent it off hoping to hear back. When I was awarded that generous scholarship, I was so excited!
Because of the scholarship which helped me complete my undergraduate degree with no debt, I was able to go straight into a master’s degree program through Oklahoma State University. I worked on that degree while I taught for two years in a Title 1 school in the Utah Valley teaching the importance of healthy eating, cooking, and fashion design. I refined the skills I learned in my undergraduate degree in my master’s program. However, through teaching and my degree I realized that staying in the classroom may not be exactly for me.
I graduated with my master’s in education in December 2022. In the meantime, I got married and my husband’s job moved us across the country to New York City. Sticking true to my mission of helping people, I currently work as a flight attendant based in NYC. While it is not exactly what I had in mind, my skills in education of patience, kindness, and attention to detail has perfectly prepared me for this job. While I work the blue skies, I am looking at further education programs to eventually join my passions for helping people and hospitality along with all the education I have received along the way.
My life is still a work in progress (and I think that is a perfect place to be in your 20s). However, I know I would not have financial independence to pursue other career options and further education without my scholarship through LAFD. Receiving that scholarship was one of the highlights of my high school career and perfectly positioned me for a bright future.
Teagan Wasserman
Graduate 2022
Wagner College
2018 Scholarship Recipient
From a young age I was drawn to the medical field, which most people would attribute to the influence of having a father in the LAFD. Growing up, I heard countless stories of my father’s bravery as he walked into burning buildings, fought brush fires, delivered a baby, responded to trauma victims, and overall protected and saved lives. Hearing about my father’s bravery and selflessness played a large role in my interest in medicine and my want to provide for those in my community. This led me to investigate the roles involved in healthcare and eventually resulted in my desire to pursue a career as a Physician Assistant (PA).
With such an early passion for medicine I had the option to consider accelerated PA programs, which would help streamline and fast forward my career into medicine. However, this path also required a lot of dedication, passion and support.. With the help of the LAFD scholarship fund I was able to relocate from California to New York to attend Wagner College as a part of their five year accelerated PA program. The first two years I spent dedicating my time to my undergraduate courses in addition to playing on Wagner’s division I soccer team. Starting my junior year of college, I transitioned from an undergraduate student into a professional student attending class from 9-5 taking a range of medical courses in order to obtain as much information as I could about providing care for my patients. For my final two years of school, I rotated through different hospitals throughout New York in a variety of different specialties learning the craft of medicine. Finally, after five years I graduated with a Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree and became a board certified PA.
Since graduating, I started my career working full-time in adult/pediatric neurosurgery and part-time in obstetrics and gynecology. I am fortunate for the impact that the LAFD has made on my life not only through their gracious scholarships, but also for each individual within the LAFD and their bravery, selflessness and commitment to serving the community. As an extension of the LAFD family I am proud to be able to use all that I’ve learned as the daughter of an LAFD firefighter and paramedic in order to provide the best possible care for each and everyone of my patients.
Graduate 2020
Growing up, I looked up to my father as a strong, hardworking, goal-driven man. Although he started out as a high school English teacher, after 10 years into his career, he felt it was time for a change of pace. He became a firefighter for LAFD when I was in kindergarten, and I knew from then on that no matter where you start, you can become successful in any situation when you put in the effort and maintain a positive mindset. As I got older, I embodied this joyful, hardworking attitude myself, and committed to giving my best in everything I took part in.
After receiving this generous scholarship in 2016, I was so blessed to begin college at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. My years there turned out to be even more incredible than I could have hoped! Because of the financial freedom that this opportunity provided, I was able to pour my time into friendships, new passions, and pursuing my education to the fullest. I majored in Elementary Education, with minors in Spanish and Latin American Studies. I was even able to study abroad in Perú and experience life in another country. For my senior project, I combined my interests of education and the Spanish language by creating and teaching bilingual microbiology lessons for 3rd grade students at a local Dual-Language Immersion School.
In addition to academics, I was also able to get involved in several extracurricular activities. I joined the Ballroom Dance Team, which is a competitive Club Sports team that travels to other universities for partner dance competitions. I met some of my best friends through this team, including my husband, who I just married in July 2022! I also became very involved in Cru, a Christian ministry on campus. As part of this organization, I led Bible studies and held a leadership role to help get students connected. My closest friends from this group and I still meet every week! While living through this fulfilling and foundational college experience, I found my place, created unforgettable memories, and blossomed into an independent adult, without the added stress of paying for my education.
I will be forever grateful for the opportunities that this scholarship created in my life. After finishing my bachelor’s degree, I continued at Cal Poly to receive my California Teaching Credential in June 2021, and my Master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction in July 2022. I am now in my second year of teaching, and I am so happy to be an educator for my third graders. Everything has come full circle. Now, I get to be a person who inspires the next generation as they begin their educational careers! I hope that I can help kids to love school with the joy and energy I bring to the classroom each day. I want to teach them to be just like my dad; working hard to pursue their goals, no matter where they started.
Thank you, LAFD, for providing me with a strong foundation to start my career and helping me encourage the next generation!
Graduate 2018
I knew I wanted to study law from a very young age. I also knew chasing this dream would take a lot of commitment, resources, and most importantly, support from those around me. The LAFD merit scholarship was one of the greatest examples of community support I received to begin my academic pursuits. The scholarship funds allowed me to attend UC Berkeley, fall more in love with the study of law, and ultimately land where I am today.
With the help of the LAFD merit scholarship, it was possible for me to attend UC Berkeley and focus on studying both geography and legal studies. My goal was to learn more not just about the law, but about the world around me and how the two can be at odds. I knew I wanted to go directly to law school once I graduated from Berkeley, but quite a few people made a point of telling me that it was not a good idea for one reason or another. But I already knew that my family and community around me saw my potential and believed I could succeed. So I remembered what my dad always said growing up, applied to law school anyway, and "didn't let anyone tell me otherwise."
In Fall 2018 I started law school at UC Hastings College of the Law in San Francisco. At Hastings I learned how many different career paths there were for budding lawyers. I spent the majority of my time in law school working pro bono for lower income elders in San Francisco through a clinic called the Medical-Legal Partnership for Seniors, or MLPS. Through MLPS I helped our elderly clients create important estate planning documents, access public benefits they might not have been aware of otherwise, apply for veteran's benefits, and more. I also advocated on clients' behalves against one of the largest mobile phone companies in the country when they improperly took advantage of our clients' age and vulnerability. I saw firsthand how many members of our older generations are often cast aside and left to deal with difficult matters such as these completely on their own. It was incredible to see the gratitude my clients felt after we worked together. I didn't even have elder law on my radar when I entered law school, but by the time I graduated I knew this was a field I could really make a difference in.
Since graduating from Hastings in 2021, I've lived in San Diego and worked in private practice. I work everyday to represent the interests of older adults in my community and protect them from physical and financial abuse. I know I have a long way to go in my career, but if I've learned anything from my dad's time with the LAFD, it's that even at a young age you may already know what career is right for you.
It certainly was not just my own ambition that sent me toward a legal career. My parents, who never doubted my ability to succeed, did (and still do) everything they could to ensure I achieved my dreams, no matter how big or small. They taught me to never settle in life, which is exactly the mindset I needed to get through decades of schooling even when I wanted to quit. I also learned countless lessons watching my dad's career with the LAFD progress. I watched him work harder than most people I know and always strive to do what is right not just for himself, but for his family and colleagues alike. These and many more invaluable lessons from my parents make up the foundation of my character and are the reasons I will always work tirelessly for what I believe in. I have found a real purpose in representing elders and their families, and I am grateful that I learned to never settle until I found my passion. Thank you again to the LAFD Scholarship Fund for believing in me from the very beginning!