Ignite My Future Scholarship

Supporting Students

Are you a teen with a passion for supporting the community? You may be eligible for the Ignite My Future Scholarship, available exclusively for Club Ignite members. Each year, FFCCU awards two (2) $1,000 scholarships to deserving high-school students. Our application period for 2026 has closed. Our 2027 application begins in December 2026, and the deadline for applications will be January 31, 2027.

MATTHEW BUGA | Wellington High School

“Giving back to the community is not just an obligation, but an opportunity to support others, learn from new experiences. and grow as a person.”

For Matthew, volunteering is about making an impact. His work through Wellington United Methodist Church’s Youth Group took him from Washinton D.C. to the site of hurricane devastation in North Carolina: Delivering meals, clearing debris, and building accessibility ramps. He promotes health, confidence, and personal safety as a volunteer facilitator through Tiger Martial Arts Academy, leveraging nearly a decade of Taekwondo experience. Matthew is proof of the striking changes that occur when you make service a priority.

MALORIE OSTER | The Hawken School

“You’ll get more than you give.”

Volunteering was always a choice for Malorie – and she never would have expected where the journey would take her. As a tutor through the Chagrin Falls Park Community Center, Malorie was a beacon for three young students with a variety of experiences. From overcoming frustrations with math, to standing as a positive mentor and source of safety and encouragement, to being an educational companion, Malorie honed her approach to tutoring to fill the needs of her mentees. And when the facilities themselves needed support, Malorie took it upon herself to attain grant funding for the Community Center and revitalize the experience for all students.

KUDOS!

Thanks to Brian Velioniskis, our financial goals are back on track. He explained the options for setting up our home equity loan very clearly and made the process easy.

-Jeff C.

The live chat team always does an outstanding job handling my frequent use of online messaging. I’m hearing impaired and prefer messaging to phone calls. They handle all my issues quickly and thorough...

-Denny J.

Our family has benefited from over 30 years of outstanding service with Firefighters Community Credit Union. Thanks for the prompt response to my online live chat question.

-Jeffery K.

Berto was awesome. I joined up today as a brand new member, and he helped in every possible way to make the process smooth and complete. Thanks, Berto!

-Karen

My experience with FFCCU’s Parma branch has been nothing but positive. Obtaining an auto loan was really easy, even though I came to the establishment as a nonmember.

-Star B.

I have been a member since 2011. Everyone has always been very helpful and quick to respond. There have also been steady improvements year after year, especially with online banking. I love supporting...

-Eric

Beth and Kathy were excellent to work with. They answered every question I had and every phone call I made. I loved those two.

-Alan S.

Shout out to Emily Soeder for professionalism and for going the extra mile. Emily helped me through a challenging issue with a fraud. It’s people like Emily we need in leadership roles to not only tra...

Miriam

Kay Cruz from the downtown Cleveland branch is amazing! Kay and FFCCU helped us when no one else could. Thank you SO MUCH for helping us move forward after our father’s passing.

Missye P.

Clicked the “Live Chat” button, asked my question, got my answer literally within a minute. THIS is what support from a banking institution should be like. Thanks so much for your help!

-Ryan M.

I’d had a poor experience with a previous lender, but took a chance and reached out to FFCCU. I am so happy I went with them and got locked in on a rate I was flabbergasted by. I’m switchi...

-Brian W.

The FFCCU team went above and beyond to help my 16-year-old get onto her mobile app. They were very helpful and kind. Definitely #peoplehelpingpeople and #CUDifference!

-Donna P.

More Kudos!

Rules and Eligibility Information

Applicants in grade 12 must be planning to enroll in a full-time undergraduate course of study at an accredited two- or four-year college or university, or accredited trade or vocational school.
Students in grades 9-11 must be planning to attend a tuition-based high-school or taking courses for college credit, with out of pocket tuition expenses, in the upcoming fall semester.
The scholarship money is applied to the upcoming fall semester tuition.
ALL requested information must be received for application to be considered.
Scholarship funds will be made payable to the institution specified by the winners.
Scholarship winners must agree to allow their name and information to be published by the credit union for promotional purposes.
This is not a one-time scholarship. However, applicants must complete a new application to be considered for each academic year.

Past Winners

Additional Info to Know

Restrictions

FFCCU employees and board members, and their immediate family members (siblings, parents/guardians or grandparents, or any family members living in the same household) are not eligible.

Selection Criteria and Scoring Procedure

The selection committee, comprised of FFCCU Board Members and Teammates, will individually evaluate each application without identifying information. Applicants will be considering community involvement, essay, and cumulative GPA. The selection committee will not review any additional information given. FFCCU will complete a scoring sheet for each application by each selection committee member. The highest scoring applicants will move to a final round where FFCCU judge panels will determine the winners.

Submission Deadline

Please follow the submission instructions outlined on the application webpage. Applicants must submit electronically. FFCCU will not consider applications delivered in person. If you do not follow directions thoroughly, your application will not be considered. The complete application must include all the required supplements. Students must submit their applications no later than January 31 of the application year.

Award Notification

FFCCU will notify only winners of the Ignite My Future Scholarship. Checks will be made payable to the educational institution that the applicant has chosen to attend and mailed directly to that institution. Firefighters Community Credit Union asks that each recipient allow the credit union to use their name and photograph in promotional materials and press releases.

For additional questions please contact communications@ffcommunity.com

Bill Deighton

Bill has over 40 years of experience in credit unions and previously served as Chair of the Board of Directors for 30 years. Bill is a retired Captain of the Cleveland Fire Department. Along with his credit union experience, he has served for 16 years on the Ohio Police and Fire Pension Fund Board. He believes that credit unions are powered by providing the best customer service to members. Bill volunteers at St. Ambrose Parish and the Fire Museum renovation. Bill and his wife live in Brunswick and have two grown children.

Anthony Missig

Tony is honored to have been the current Board Director since 1999. He has been a credit union member of Cleveland Fire Fighter since 1988. Tony graduated with a BA degree in Business from Hiram College and an MBA from Baldwin Wallace College. He is currently an Assistant Chief with the Cleveland Fire Department.

Ben Laurendeau

Ben Laurendeau has been employed in the credit union industry since 1987 in a variety of positions. Ben has held the position of President/CEO with Firefighters Community Credit Union since January of 2005. Ben holds an Associate Degree in Accounting from Terra Community College, A Bachelor Degree in Accounting from Tiffin University and a Master of Business Administration Degree from Baldwin Wallace University. Ben serves as a Director on the Ohio Credit Union League Services Corporation Board and serves on the Ohio Credit Union League Audit Committee.

Gary D. Arbeznik

Gary is a lifelong resident of Greater Cleveland and has been a member of the Board of Directors since 2018. Many of his family members have served in the Cleveland Fire department and are long-time members of FFCCU. Gary holds a BA from Columbia College and a JD g from Cleveland State University. He has worked for both Cuyahoga County and the US Attorney’s office in Cleveland during his legal career. Now retired, Gary and his wife live in Lakewood.

Alyssa Garcia Evanoff

Alyssa Garcia Evanoff joined Firefighters Community Credit Union as the Chief Marketing Officer in February 2019. Alyssa has nearly two decades of experience in brand management and strategic marketing with a variety of organizations across the Greater Cleveland area. During her career, she has developed successful marketing and creative campaigns that have repositioned brand image and increased brand loyalty through emerging digital trends, content marketing and user experience strategy. Alyssa is a graduate of Miami University and sits on the board of the Cleveland chapter of the American Advertising Federation.

Jessica Bittner

Jessica Bittner joined FFCCU as a teller in 2009. In 2012 she was promoted to branch manager, and has managed multiple branches throughout the credit union. Jessica holds a Bachelors in Human Resource Management & Business Management, with a minor in accounting from Baldwin Wallace University. She was promoted to COO in 2021.

Kathleen Riggs

Kathleen Riggs joined FFCCU as Chief Retail Officer in 2013. Kathy has been in the financial services industry for over 25 years, holding a variety of positions. Kathleen received her bachelors degree in psychology from Kent State University and is a certified trainer of CUNA’s Creating Member Loyalty program.

Paul Humphrey

Paul Humphrey was born and raised in Northeast Ohio. He joined FFCCU in 2017 as the Chief Lending Officer. Paul is a graduate of Kent State University. He holds the designation of Certified Credit Union Financial Counselor (CCUFC) from CUNA. Paul has managed lending programs in both small and large credit unions and brings that unique perspective to serve the members of FFCCU.

John Carrick

John Carrick is the Chief Financial Officer of Firefighters Community Credit Union in Cleveland, Ohio. John was hired by Greater Cleveland Firefighters Credit Union (former name of Firefighters Community Credit Union) as an Accounting Assistant in February 1993, was promoted to acting CFO in 1995, and was awarded the position of CFO in 1996. John has assisted in the acquisition of multiple mergers for Firefighters Community Credit Union and has managed two different Merging Credit Unions during the merger process. John is a former member of the Audit Committee of the Cleveland Chapter of the Ohio Credit Union League. John holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Cleveland State University.

Dennis Corrigan

Dennis has been a member of the Board of Directors since 2017. He is invested in forming bonds between the Credit Union and the community and helping members improve their economic situations. He has a strong desire to have a voice in the decision-making process of an institution that he was raised with and believes in. Dennis has been a part of the Cleveland Fire Department for 25 years and is currently a Captain. Dennis and his wife live in the Cleveland area with their three children.

Damian Borkowski

Damian has served on the Board of Directors for over 10 years. He has been the Citywide Service Manager for the City of Cleveland since 1983 and manages the demolition of houses and buildings. He holds degrees in Law and Engineering and is a member of the Ohio Bar. Damian lives with his wife in the Cleveland area. He has been a credit union member for 30 years.

Rich Bowman

Rich serves as the Chair of the Board of Directors and has been a board member since 2009. He has been a Cleveland Firefighter since 1989 and is presently a Battalion Chief serving the city’s lower west side. Rich is a founding member and Treasurer of the Firefighters Memorial Ride. Since their inception in 2004, they have donated over $250,000 to the families of fallen Fire, Police, and EMS workers. He has a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a minor in Finance from Cleveland State University.

James E. Polk

James is the Vice-Chair of the Board of Directors and has served on the Board since 1982. He has also held the position of Secretary. Jim is a retired Cleveland Firefighter after 30 years of service. He is the past treasurer of Fire Fighters Local 93 and served on the Union Executive Board for 18 years. Jim is also a former Worker’s Compensation Representative for Local 93 and the NOFF.

Bryan Gallagher

Bryan has served on the FFCCU Board of Directors since 2006 and looks forward to continuing to help the credit union move forward and provide quality services to members. Born and raised in Cleveland, Bryan and his wife live in Lakewood and have three grown children. He holds a degree in Communications from Cleveland State University and spent 40-years as a cameraman for the MLB and NBA. After 33 years, he retired as a Captain from the Cleveland Fire Department. He is a former Sergeant at Arms for Local 93 IAFF and was Secretary for the Firefighters Memorial.

Robert Schwind

Bob is a lifelong Cleveland resident and has been a member of FFCCU since 1993. He has served on the FFCCU board since 2019. Bob is a graduate of Cleveland State University and has served as a Cleveland firefighter for the past 28 years, becoming a lieutenant in 2002. He and his wife live in Cleveland and have two grown daughters.

James Andrews, Jr.

Jim has been a credit union member for over 40 years and has served on the Board of Directors since 2012. He has been a Cleveland Firefighter for 29 years, currently stationed at Engine Company 13. James has served on the Cleveland Firefighters Relief Fund board and was a former Union Steward and Committee Member for Firefighters Local 93. He and his wife have three children.