AFSA NextGen Scholarship

Posted on October 10, 2025 by Lauren Milliman

Every year, the American Fire Sprinkler Association gives young professionals in the fire sprinkler industry a chance to attend the AFSA’s annual convention. The NextGen National Scholarship is awarded to those who qualify, covering the cost of attendance. This year there were 75 individuals who applied nationwide, 17 were from VSC. 

VSC is excited to have Robert Dalton, Chip Goza, Jay Ricketts, Matt Turner and Lily Yagos attending AFSA44 in Washington D.C. as this year’s VSC’s recipients of the NextGen Scholarship. The criteria for eligibility include that the individual is under 40 years of age and has never attended AFSA convention previously. Once applications have been submitted, applicants are reviewed and then selected.

AFSA’s Next Generation (NextGen) Initiative focuses on individuals who are new to the fire sprinkler industry. These are typically younger people who are in (or being prepared for) leadership or management and want to be active in AFSA, both at the national and chapter levels. 

Hunter Brendle, Brendle Sprinkler Company Vice President, highlights how the scholarship started. “We were really focused on how we invest in young people and get them involved in conventions,” he said. Being able to plant seeds within the next generation of the fire sprinkler industry and see how these opportunities help the individuals grow is one of the many reasons this scholarship is important. 

Nate Williams, AFSA Meeting and Events Coordinator, is “really excited about how much the NextGen Scholarship has grown this year. This program gives young professionals the chance to experience the convention, something that’s usually reserved for upper management or more tenured employees.” Nate went on to explain how the convention is such a valuable opportunity to connect with others in the industry, learn from the best, and start building their own path for growth.

NextGen engages with future leaders within the industry and provides them with opportunities for networking and developing their careers so that they can help shape the future of AFSA and the fire sprinkler industry.

We asked Nate what made this year so successful. “A big part of this year’s success came from the push by Katie Meehan, Chair of the NextGen Initiative and Marketing Director at VSC, who’s been a driving force behind expanding opportunities for our younger members,” Nate said. “With her leadership and the support of AFSA President Bob Caputo and our Board of Directors we’ve been able to make this scholarship a meaningful investment in the next generation of fire protection leaders.”

Hunter emphasizes how opportunities like this “reignite the passion for what we do, help build relationships and increase involvement in the association and the industry.” The impacts of the scholarship last beyond just the convention, creating opportunities for the next generation to get involved and have lasting connections and mentors to help guide them as they grow within their role as well as the industry, even possibly getting involved with AFSA committees.

We are looking forward to AFSA44 next week, and excited to share it with our five deserving recipients of this year’s NextGen Scholarship.