Members of the first class of firefighter scholarship awardees at BC3 are (L-R) Michael Riley, Alysha Bricker, Samuel Stewart and Melisa Stoner

BUTLER TWP — The first five Butler County Community College students to receive the college's new firefighter $1,000 scholarships have been announced.

Those students were presented with certificates Thursday night at the Butler County Fire Chiefs Association meeting.

The recipients are:

• Alysha Bricker, 19, of the Petrolia Volunteer Fire Department

• Melisa Stoner, 20, of the Oneida Valley Volunteer Fire Department

• Samuel Stewart, 19, of the Portersville Volunteer Fire Department

• Michael Riley, 19, of the Chicora Volunteer Fire Department

• Cole Campbell, 20, of the Unionville Volunteer Fire Department

Bricker is studying heating and air conditioning. Riley of Chicora is studying engineering.

Stone is studying nursing.

Stewart is studying biology, and Campbell is studying welding.

The scholarships were established thanks to the Cranberry Township Community Chest, which made the recruitment and retention of volunteer firefighters its project of the year in 2014.

Over a number of months, that group raised nearly $400,000 from throughout the county, including more than $260,000 to establish the scholarships.