As my tenure as Memorial Scholarship Fund Advisor winds down, I am pleased to share this year’s David J. Nelson Sr. Memorial Scholarship recipients. Congratulations to the awardees, and thank you to everyone who has supported the Fund throughout its 50-year history. I also offer special thanks to those who have encouraged me over the past 10 years of steering the program.
Scholarship – $1,250
Hope Giammatteo, Powder Ridge/CT
A recent Choate Rosemary Hall graduate, Hope attended this year’s YAP Summit, earning the esteemed Hans Hyson Award. A self-described student-athlete and community member, she has balanced a rigorous academic load with athletics, running a state chapter of a national non-profit, participating in academic clubs, and serving on ski & bike patrol. This past year, she captained both her basketball and softball teams. As a co-founding president of Helping Hands Project, Hope organized service events and volunteering opportunities for students at food pantries and homeless shelters in the greater New Haven area. Hope has committed to Skidmore College to play softball and double-major in biology and neuroscience on a pre-med track. While there, she plans to patrol at nearby West Mountain and seeks to become an OET Instructor.
Sean Wallace, Blue Hills/EMARI
Sean graduated from Blue Hills Regional Technical School this spring. For his patrol, he serves as a Lift Evacuation Instructor and regularly assists with OEC class. Named the 2025 National Outstanding Young Adult Patroller, Sean has attended the YAP Summit twice, and says, “That weekend, we tore up the trails in tight formations that felt like I was in a scene of Top Gun.” Outside of patrolling, Sean is an Eagle Scout and participated in National Youth Leadership Training. Early in high school, he joined the United Naval Sea Cadet Corps, rising to the rank of Petty Officer 3rd Class and putting his OEC skills to use as the Lead Cadet Medical Responder and Trainer. He then joined the Coast Guard, completing his initial training in Cape May, NJ. Now a reservist, Sean plans to earn a degree in Emergency Management from the Massachusetts Maritime Academy before returning to the Coast Guard as an officer.
Nathaniel Demain, Abenaki/NH
Nate participated on the varsity cross country, alpine ski racing, indoor track, and track and field teams during his time at Kingswood Regional High School, where he volunteered with Knights Against Hunger, supplying weekly food bags to students in need. He was also a member of NHS, the math team, the robotics team, and attended the YAP Summit twice. Regarding robotics, he says, “Everyone has that goal that they know they will never reach; the impossible goal. For me, it was to attend the First Robotics World Championship. Last year, I achieved that goal. Continuing my life after spending a week around the smartest robotic people in the world changed my impossible life goals. I now know I can have an impact, and change other’s lives.” Nate will attend Boston University, studying Mechanical Engineering.
William Burdin, Nashoba Valley/EMARI
William leads Nashoba’s Ski Scout Program, comprised of aspiring YAPs aged 12-15. He has attended the YAP Summit three times, placing 1st in OEC in 2025. He is an active OEC Instructor and is on his way to becoming an OET Instructor. He says, “Training others to remain calm in stressful situations, demonstrating lifesaving medical skills…showed me how powerful medical knowledge can be.” At his high school, Westford Academy, William ran track & field, participated in NHS and Marching Band. He was also a member of Health Occupational Students of America, placing 3rd statewide in Pathophysiology in both 2024 and 2025, which qualified him for an International Leadership Conference. William will attend UMass/Amherst majoring in kinesiology on a pre-med track.
Mason Opalka, Elk Mountain/EPA
Mason attended this year’s YAP Summit, offering this rave review, “The National Ski Patrol Eastern Division has cracked the code on how to have the best weekend for learning and competing.” At Susquehanna Community High School, Mason was a member of both the cross country and track & field teams, serving as team captain. He is also an Eagle Scout, designing and constructing two gaga ball pits for a local elementary school. The project took 70 hours and required him to lead a team of 10 volunteers. Regarding future plans, Mason says, “I chose Penn State to study civil engineering because of my interest in science, and the influence of my father, who is a civil engineer. I want to design and build infrastructure that benefits my community while minimizing environmental impact.”
Honorable Mentions – $750
Mary Page, Bear Creek/EPA
Mary is a 2026 Allentown Central Catholic High School graduate. She has attended the YAP Summit twice, saying the program built up her confidence immensely. She also recently completed training as an EMT, which helped her realize she wanted to study medicine. A 14-year dance student, Mary performed in her school’s musical theater productions and was Dance Team captain. She was also Key Club vice president and on the Science Olympiad Team. Mary has volunteered with the Central City Project as both a tutor and in their food pantry. Additionally, she assists with Allentown Central Catholic’s Summer Enrichment and Dance Camps, earning the Day-Marion Service Award for cumulative service hours. Mary plans to major in biology with a history minor at Scranton University.
Nicholas Loew, Bromley/SVT
Nicholas is a 3rd year medical student at the Warren Alpert School of Medicine at Brown University, where he has led both the Ski & Snowboard Club and Trauma & Acute Care Surgery Elective for the last two years. He is a senior alpine patroller and has been awarded a yellow merit star. Nicholas’s community service includes working as a disaster action team member and duty officer for the RI/CT Region of the American Red Cross, and as a volunteer sexual education and health instructor to middle schoolers in underserved communities. He states, “I consider my experience as a ski patroller to be the first steppingstone in my path toward pursuing a career in medicine. From that initial commitment to service on the mountain, my experiences have naturally built upon one another and deepened my desire to care for others.”
Flora Dewar, Bolton Valley/NVT
Following a career change which found her working as a Labor & Delivery Assistant at the University of Vermont Medical Center, Flora began her studies through their Direct Entry Masters of Nursing Program in 2025. She says she was “raised by ski patrol,” tagging along with her father who patrolled at both Okemo and Saskedena Six. Two years ago, in a search for community, she returned to her patrol roots, joining Bolton Valley Ski Patrol in NVT. She says, “That winter changed a lot for me. I made friends. I skied more than I had in years and quit my job and started working at the hospital. Through ski patrol, I realized that I loved the medical side of patrol just as much as I loved the skiing side of it. From there I became an EMT and applied for nursing school. My hope is to become an Emergency Department RN, and continue to use the skills and passion I first found through ski patrol to help my community.”
