Fisher Student Awarded Scholarship from National Union

Brandon Drexler ’24, a senior majoring in biology with a minor in chemistry, was selected as a recipient of the Alvin E. Heaps Scholarship Award, given by the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU).

Named in honor of past RWDSU president Alvin E. Heaps, the scholarship is open to union members or their families to help offset the cost of education. Applicants are asked to write an essay on the role of unions in the workforce.

Drexler’s winning essay shared how representation in RWDSU Local 220 Union has supported his father throughout his 26-year tenure at Keurig Dr Pepper in Williamson, New York. By extension, Drexler added that union representation helped create a stable financial situation for his family by ensuring equitable pay and affordable health insurance coverage.

“The union has had a tremendous impact on the stability and security of our family’s financial well-being,” he wrote in his essay. “I am filled with immense gratitude and deep appreciation for all that the union has provided and for the unwavering support and provision of my father, who is undoubtedly a rock for my family.”

Drexler will use his scholarship to help fund his final year at Fisher. Upon graduation in May, he hopes to further his education by attending optometry school.