WM Fallen Firefighters Memorial Scholarship

The White Mountain Fallen Firefighters Memorial Scholarship

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 th 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.

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.

And the White Mountain Fallen Firefighter Memorial Scholarship will continue to honor Valeree and the service and sacrifice of her fellow fallen firefighters, as well. 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.

Thank you for your donation to the White Mountain Fallen Firefighter Memorial Scholarship fund. You are growing the future of every student who, with the help of this scholarship, is empowered to step forward and protect and serve our communities.