Ed Snider Youth Hockey & Education is moved when program alumni give back to the organization and support the next generation. We are excited to share that alumna, Victoria Maloney, recently announced a $2,000 annual scholarship to the Snider Career Pathways Fund, to support students interested in pursuing emergency medical training (EMT). Victoria and her brothers grew up participating in Snider at the Simons Recreation Center. After 12 years in the program, she now serves as a coach for younger students, works as a Financial Systems Analyst at Exelon, and she continues to embody everything Snider stands for.
What inspired you to create this EMT scholarship?
My parents both were first responders while I was growing up and worked for the Philadelphia Fire Department, and many others in my family also serve as first responders. Throughout my childhood, I always heard about their experiences and respected them immensely for the work they’ve done. In addition, there are many Snider students and alumni who have talked about being interested in becoming an EMT, and being able to give them the opportunity to do that debt-free was something I wanted to make possible after Snider helped my family attend high-school and college debt-free.
When did you first start thinking about giving back to Snider in this way?
I started thinking about giving back to Snider in some way since I received the Union League of Philadelphia’s scholarship back in 2020. During that ceremony, they quoted something Benjamin Franklin wrote in a letter to Benjamin Webb – where he said instead of paying him back on a loan with money, pay it forward and help someone in his situation. This stayed with me since hearing that, and about a year ago my family and I had a discussion of how amazing it would be if Snider students had the opportunity to go to EMT school and get a job. I had already been looking for an impactful way to give back, and after thinking over how to properly execute a scholarship, I reached out to Sam Napierkowski and Katy Hsieh to get it in motion.
Why was it meaningful for you to return and support the next generation of Snider students?
My family and I have been involved with Snider Hockey for over a decade – and since starting, the Snider community has become a second home for us. Snider completely transformed who I was as a student, athlete, professional, and as a person and gave me opportunities and a support system that I would have never had without the organization. I was given the tools needed for me to start to succeed on my path, and being able to provide that to our upcoming students meant a lot to me. Whether it be an extra ice slot, tutoring, making a travel team, or graduating from college – Snider was there every step of the way, and I wanted to give the same support to our community that is given to me even today.
Why did you choose to support aspiring EMTs specifically?
I chose aspiring EMTs because of my family and the work EMTs do. EMTs are very important to all our communities and are oftentimes the first people to arrive at a situation. They’re committed, very knowledgeable, and have career growth potential. Many EMTs I know have very diverse careers and have been able to transition into other first-responder, nursing, and leadership roles (just to name a few). Regardless of what someone does after EMT school, the knowledge and work-ethic that is taught can be translated anywhere.
What do you hope this scholarship makes possible for students?
I hope this scholarship gives students not only the chance to attend EMT school, but to also have good and stable careers. When I was 17-18, I had no clue what I wanted to do or where I was going to end up in my career, but I did know I had a good support system and tools to be able to figure that out. I want to give students a major tool they can use in their career, while also giving them the proper support and opportunities to be successful.
What would you say to other alumni or supporters who might be thinking about giving back?
One thing I would say to anyone considering giving back is to think about where you’ve struggled, and where others have come in and helped you succeed. Snider significantly helped shape who I am as a person and have supported me at every stage of my life since I started here. Giving back does not mean giving a big donation (although that does not hurt); it can also be volunteering at the rink, donating old gear, or even just sharing the word about Snider. Even though I’m helping create this scholarship, there’s so many other ways that I try to give back to Snider that are not in a monetary way that help our students succeed every day. In our lives, there’s at least one person who’s impacted us in a way that helped us get where we are today, and one small action from you can be life-changing for one of our students or someone in your life.
Are you interested in setting up your own fund? Contact Snider’s SVP of Development, Katy Hsieh, at [email protected].
Any donation from Snider students and alumni will now be matched 3:1, essentially quadrupling their impact. This is an increase from Snider’s standard 2:1 match, incentivizing students to give back, a core pillar of Snider’s model.
