Fall 2026 Winner of the Wounded First Responders Scholarship

Derek White

In Derek’s essay, he discusses his father’s 25-year career as a firefighter and paramedic and how the career affected his father’s mental health, but also his family in general. Though his family had to overcome many challenges, Derek’s empathy and motivation pushed him to excel in both academics and athletics.

Read Their Essay Here:

For as long as I can remember, my father, Matthew White, worked as Firefighter and Paramedic for the Orange County Fire Authority. Being so young in the first half of his career, I did not quite understand the workload and risks this job entailed. He served as an incident commander, helping lead firefighting efforts, and worked within our community responding to structure fires and helping the public with medical emergencies.

Due to the unpredictable and demanding nature of his schedule, my mom stayed home to raise my sister and me. As I grew older, I started to notice how much time he would spend away from home, sometimes spending months at a time fighting fires in different counties and even states. While he was local, I would only be able to see him a couple days throughout the week while he was stationed nearly 45 minutes away from home.

Although this schedule became routine throughout my childhood, it never got easier having to say goodbye to my Dad, being unaware of the very possible danger he may experience while he was away. This reality was especially hard for my Mom and little sister, which led me, at just seven years old, to carry extra responsibility as the only male in the household. Just before I turned ten, my father was diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). This moment fundamentally changed the direction of my family’s life. For the next five years, our family unexpectedly went through great emotional and financial hardship. My Dad would consistently isolate himself from the outside world, and even his family. He developed a very volatile personality, lashing out in anger daily and relying on alcohol as an escape from reality, unaware of how to cope with his condition.

What was once a secure household, turned into a neurotic environment in a matter of months. I would frequently be taken to school and sporting events by other families due to my Mom having to stay home to care for my father. Spending so much time away from my parents caused me to feel miserable, lonely, and especially scared for the well-being of my family. One day, my Dad called my Mom while at work as a last resort for help. She immediately resorted to the OCFA Suicide Hotline. My Dad was forced to medically retire after 25 years in this field, sending our family into financial strain. Due to these hardships, we had to make the difficult decision to move from California to Washington in hopes of cheaper and new surroundings.

Living through these difficult experiences has changed my perspective on service, sacrifice, and especially the importance of mental health. I was a first-hand witness to the emotional toll firefighters, as well as their families, may have to endure through their career. This experience has ingrained feelings of empathy, independence, and motivation to transform adversity into purpose. Pursuing a higher education constitutes security, opportunity and the ability to create a more stable future for my family. It also allows me to honor my father’s sacrifice by becoming the best version of myself, prioritizing future success and personal well-being. Though the lasting effects on our family are still prevalent, such as financial issues and lasting memories of a challenging childhood, my father has been sober for over a year and continues to improve. Amidst this tough period, I managed to complete high school averaging a 3.95 GPA, perform as a 1st Team All-League Football player, earn the highest rank of Eagle Scout, and pursue a Bachelor’s Degree in Kinesiology