Speakers: Fernando Lua, Firefighter 1, California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection
Fernando Lua: Hello, my name is Fernando Lua. I work for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection as a firefighter one in the San Bernardino unit, and I was a 2025 recipient of the Chief James G. Yvorra Award for Fire and Emergency Services responders.
Fernando Lua: I'm very thankful for the Yvorra Leadership Development Foundation and for the Chief James G. Yvorra Award for fire and emergency services responders scholarship. This scholarship granted me with the ability to continue to pay for my education. I decided to go back to school. while recovering from a duty-related injury, and I wanted to use my time wisely. Financially, I was in a bit of a difficult situation and I just wasn't sure how that was gonna pan out. But through receiving this scholarship, it ensured that I could provide for pretty much almost all of the finances for this 2nd semester of school that I am currently in. So it's gonna do a lot in terms of supporting me to to meet my goals and to meet my dreams and to better myself to become a better firefighter for my department and for those around me.
