The New Jersey Funeral Service Education Corporation has awarded scholarships to three deserving New Jersey funeral service program students.
The students are receiving the scholarships based primarily on academic performance and a strong commitment to funeral service rather than financial need. The award-winners will be recognized at the General Session of the New Jersey State Funeral Directors Association, held on September 16 during the NJSFDA Funeral Directors Convention and Expo at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City.
The 2026 scholarship recipients are:
- Rabbi David J. Fine, American Academy McAllister Institute of Funeral Service
- Anthony Martinez, Mercer County Community College
- Allison M. Umphlett, Mercer County Community College
The FORUM recently interviewed the students and asked them how a scholarship would benefit them and how their mortuary education has formulated their experiences in the industry so far.
Rabbi David J. Fine
What experiences in your life have led you to choosing a career as a funeral director?
Working as a congregational rabbi for 25 years, I have found profound meaning in having the opportunity to help guide people through the rituals of loss. Being able to offer support and guidance during a time of grief, and sometimes shock, is an honor and an important responsibility. As a licensed funeral director, I would be able to more fully support and guide people through these difficult times.
What have you learned about yourself as a Funeral Service Program student?
I remembered what I always loved about being a student: learning new things, compiling knowledge to form a coherent sense of understanding and imagining how to apply that knowledge to life. Also, as an "older" student I have found it energizing to apply myself to science learning which I have not done in a structured way since high school. I'm better at it now!
How can funeral homes adapt to the multiple challenges facing funeral service, from new forms of disposition and body treatment to the continued rise of cremation rates?
While these changes present substantive challenges, we should remember that the ways in which we respond to death and take care of the deceased have engaged human culture from the beginning. As cultural expectations evolve, the funeral service industry will need to continue to be the "go-to place" for individuals to help them through the inevitable moments of loss.
How will this scholarship help you achieve your career goals?
Receiving this scholarship has given me an important boost of confidence that I am not pursuing a crazy idea, but that becoming a funeral director at this stage of my life is answering a call.
Anthony Martinez
What experiences in your life have led you to choosing a career as a funeral director?
I have always considered myself a caring and helpful person, especially when someone is going through a difficult time. Those qualities played a major role in my decision to pursue a career as a funeral director. Working in the funeral service profession has allowed me to see firsthand how important compassion, patience and respect are when helping families who have experienced a loss. Being able to support families and make a difficult time a little easier for them has shown me that this is the career I want to continue pursuing. Going forward, I hope to become a licensed funeral director and use my career to make a positive difference in the lives of the families and communities I serve.
What have you learned about yourself as a Funeral Service Program student?
As a Funeral Service Program student, I have learned that I have a strong passion for helping others and that funeral service is a career that truly fits who I am as a person. Funeral service requires knowledge in many different areas, including embalming, anatomy, funeral directing, law, ethics, grief and communication. My education has helped me understand the level of responsibility that comes with becoming a funeral director. I have also learned that my caring personality is one of my greatest strengths. I understand that every family grieves differently, and being patient, listening carefully and treating people with dignity are just as important as the technical knowledge required in this profession.
How can funeral homes adapt to the multiple challenges facing funeral service, from new forms of disposition and body treatment to the continued rise of cremation rates?
Funeral homes must be willing to adapt while continuing to provide families with meaningful and respectful services. As cremation rates continue to rise and families become interested in different forms of disposition and memorialization, funeral directors need to educate themselves about these changes and provide families with more choices. Funeral homes can offer personalized memorial services, cremation options, environmentally conscious choices and other alternatives that reflect each family's wishes, beliefs and budget. Technology and social media can also help funeral homes communicate with families and provide services such as livestreaming and online memorials. Most importantly, funeral homes should continue focusing on compassion and personal service regardless of which form of disposition a family chooses.
How will this scholarship help you achieve your career goals?
Receiving this scholarship would help me continue moving forward toward my goal of becoming a licensed funeral director. The financial assistance would help reduce some of the costs associated with my funeral service education and allow me to focus more of my attention on completing the program and preparing for the next steps in my career. My goal is not simply to earn a license, but to build a long-term career where I can help families during some of the most difficult moments of their lives.
Allison M. Umphlett
What experiences in your life have led you to choose a career as a funeral director?
An experience that occurred in my life that led me to choose being a funeral director as my career was not a one-time occurrence but multiple occasions. Growing up, I would always have families coming up to me saying that they loved my father and our funeral home and how the service we had done for them and their family was unforgettable. Therefore, when I was looking into future careers, I immediately thought of funeral service and how I could make a difference like my dad has.
What have you learned about yourself as a Funeral Service Program student?
While in the Funeral Service Program, I have learned how to be patient and that sometimes you need to take a step back when things don’t go your way and come back later. I have very recently learned that being a funeral director involves a lot of moving parts and situations that can dictate the outcome of your work.
How can funeral homes adapt to the multiple challenges facing funeral service, from new forms of disposition and body treatment to the continued rise of cremation rates?
Funeral homes can adapt to new challenges involving new forms of disposition and body treatment due to the rise of cremation by being open to new changes and shifting from being a primarily traditional-funeral-based funeral home to being more flexible. They need to offer families a range of disposition, memorialization and personalization options. We should be knowledgeable about cremation, green burials and alkaline hydrolysis in order to best serve families. They also must not look at cremations as simply a way for families to put their loved ones at rest. They should present families with different options offered, such as memorial services, scattering services and permanent memorializations.
How will this scholarship help you achieve your career goals?
This scholarship will help me achieve my career goals by giving me some financial supports and allowing me a platform to express how important the funeral industry is and how we need advocate for the profession.