A class project by a group of emergency management students at Arkansas Tech University has yielded a $4,110 grant for the Appleton Volunteer Fire Department.
Arkansas Tech students Jessica Alvarado of Jacksonville, Nelson Brown of Lonoke, Kristi Creque of Russellville, Melanie Finley of Beebe and DeChriston McKinney of Waco, Texas, along with graduate assistant Charlie Whorton of Jerusalem, wrote the grant proposal to the Arkansas Division of Rural Services.
The project was part of a course taught by Dr. Rejina Manandhar, assistant professor of emergency management, during the fall 2015 semester.
The members of the class were originally going to write hypothetical grants, but following a suggestion from three local state legislators — Rep. Trevor Drown, Rep. Mary Bentley and Sen. Greg Standridge — the students were connected with the information and resources necessary to submit their grant proposals to the state.
“I am ecstatic that our students had this opportunity for real-world experience and that they have succeeded in helping one of our community stakeholders receive this state grant,” said Dr. Sandy Smith, head of the Arkansas Tech Department of Emergency Management. “These students applied the knowledge gained from the grants course taught by Dr. Manandhar and worked with Appleton Fire Department to produce a funded grant. It is a win-win situation. The Appleton community will be stronger because of the efforts of Arkansas Tech emergency management students.”
The students will be honored during a ceremony with Gov. Asa Hutchinson at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 9, in the Governor’s Reception Room at the State Capitol in Little Rock.
“This was valuable, real-world experience,” said Alvarado. “I am positive that what we learned will be very useful to us later in our careers.”
Mike Huse, chief of the Appleton Volunteer Fire Department, said the funds will allow the department to upgrade its tanker.
