Time is running out for applicants to file for the Slade Baker Memorial Scholarship as May 2, 2022, deadline is looming.
The scholarship, offered in memory of Slade Baker who passed away in October 2019, is open to Lamar County residents who are looking toward a career in the fire services.
“We hope that this opportunity will help inspire people in the community to enter into a career in the fire service,” said Paris firefighter Austin Sugg.
Baker, who was a devoted public servant with the Paris Fire Department, “made sure everyone knew he cared about them, that he loved them, that he loved his job, his family; that he loved God.”
Former Paris Firefighter Adam Bolton described Baker as someone who would, “show up, smile and work hard.”
“Everything Slade did was to be with and better other people he was around,” Bolton said. “He wanted to be around people and lift them up any way he could.”
Paris Fire Department firefighter, now Assistant Fire Marshal, Cade Oats said Baker wanted to see people smile.
“He wanted them to laugh,” Oats said. “He would work every bit of overtime he could get at the fire department. If he didn’t get overtime and someone on another shift couldn’t work, he’d step up for them.”
The Slade Baker Memorial Scholarship will award $2,500 towards tuition for the Texas Fire Academy as they look to enter into the fire service. The recipient will be chosen based on an interview with a review board, academic performance and a 500-word essay on “’Public Service,’ what public service means to them, and their plans to use a career in public service to improve their community.”
To apply for the scholarship, download the form from the department’s website CLICK HERE, or stop by Station 1 on N. Main St. to pick up an application. The deadline is May 2, 2022.
“We hope that with the scholarship that the memory of Slade continues strongly in our community,” said Sugg.
*Mailed applications must be postmarked by the deadline date. Incomplete or illegible applications may be disqualified.
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