The Firework Scholarship: A Life-Changing Experience

Written by Juliet Brown, published May 31, 2022

It was 1am Saturday morning; I was just finally laying down after a long day. “You should apply for this”; my phone pings with an Instagram message from my boss. I remember opening up the posting for the Firework Scholarship and thinking, “Khristy is out of her mind if she thinks I’m actually winning this and making it to Texas”. Nevertheless, I applied. 

I audibly screamed when I found out I received the scholarship. After my first conversation with Sara I was over the moon. I immediately loved how bubbly she was and thought “these are my people”. Over the next month, we spoke a lot over text and the phone, talking about our Texas plans and making sure that we got the right fast food when we landed in Texas. I immediately felt included and part of the team. 

For those that don’t know, The Firework Scholarship is a seat in 360 Dispatcher’s 9-1-1 Leadership Training Event in Texas. It is an intense 4-day course on a ranch in rural Texas. This course is not for the faint of heart. Over the week we were there we talked about hard things; Where are we failing ourselves? Where are we failing our coworkers? Where are we succeeding and thriving? I loved the ongoing conversations we had all week. Everyday we sat with new people, and everyday we had conversations about what to do with difficult situations and how to have difficult conversations. I feel as though I left a different person than I arrived. 

During that week I also met the amazing Ricardo Martinez. He is the voice behind the Within the Trenches Podcast, and the podcast funded my travel to the Leadership Training. If you haven’t heard the podcast before, you should download an episode on Spotify immediately (I’m biased towards podcast 433, but that may be because that's the one I was in). Ricardo is one of those people that genuinely loves to watch others succeed. I recently read Inclusion on Purpose by Ruchika Tulshyan, and she talks about how when you have the platform you need to make space for others and then step out of the way. That is exactly what Ricardo does in his podcast. He interviews dispatchers about their experiences and gives every dispatcher a platform to share their story. He uses this great platform he has to make sure every dispatcher feels heard. He helps you along in talking about your story, but he gives you the space to share. Because at the end of the day, each and every one of our stories matters. 

Speaking of stories, I want to talk about the fabulous woman The Firework Scholarship is in honor of; Wendy Day. You know how sometimes people have friends that complete your soul? That seems like who Wendy was for Sara. During the week I was in Texas, Sara told me all about her. She told me about how the name “firework” came to be. One day, Sara was super nervous about a presentation. Her and Wendy were in the bathroom together and Sara was a mess. Wendy gave Sara the pep talk of her life and told her that she’s a firework. Sara rocked the presentation! The metaphor stuck through the rest of their friendship. I’m honored to be the first recipient of a scholarship with a genuine and important backstory. I think that’s one of the reasons that I love and trust 911der Women so much; Sara projects those same genuine, positive vibes that Wendy gave her that day to each and every one of us. 

I originally thought that when I received this scholarship I would just go to Texas for a week, learn all of the things, and come home. But the truth of the matter is that my entire life has changed. I gained lifelong friends and mentors. Sara asked me to speak with her at NENA in Kentucky this year and, although I’ve never formally spoken publicly, I know she won’t let me fail. We already have plans to hang out by the pool at our hotel (we booked the same one). Ricardo and I have secret plans coming up that I can’t wait for us to be able to share with you all. I never imagined that one application and essay could open so many doors. I’ve dreamt of speaking at a national conference, but I didn’t think it would happen within a year of making it one of my goals. I’m excited and blessed to be given the opportunity to shine. Applying for the Firework Scholarship was a true example of how one decision can change your entire life. I’m excited for the unknown that the future holds; whatever it is, I know it’ll be amazing. 

“We all have fireworks within us, ready to explode. Aim high for the sky, shine bright and when you’re at the top, share the moment to inspire others” - Arnold He

Thank you, Juliet for sharing your experience with us. If you are interested in writing a blog, please email 911derWomen@gmail.com. Sign up for our newsletter on our homepage to stay up to date with 911der Women programming, exclusive content and blog updates. Click here and scroll to the bottom.