With strong union roots, Russell Burdette wins the 2026 AFSCME Family Scholarship

Fairness. Affordable healthcare. Opportunity.  

These are just a few of the ways being part of a union family has made a difference for Russell Burdette, a graduating student at Walton-Verona High School who is bound for his dream program at Western Kentucky University.  

Burdette is the child of AFSCME Ohio Council 8, Local 1768 member Christine Ware and part of a strong family union tradition, making him eligible to win one of ten competitive spots in the nationwide AFSCME Family Scholarship Program. 

“AFSCME has helped provide better opportunities for me and my family, opened the door for better wages for everyone, and provided fair opportunities for my family and the communities where we live,” Burdette wrote in his winning essay for the award.  

This scholarship program is also one of the opportunities that he wouldn’t have without our union, which has allowed him to follow his dreams to study meteorology at Western Kentucky University. 

“I have wanted to attend college in this career field my entire life and my mom has always encouraged me to utilize the assistance that the union has to offer,” Burdette continued in his essay. “I am excited about this opportunity and hope that this scholarship allows me to come closer to that dream.”  

Burdette’s strong union ties come from not only his mother, but also his grandfather who also served as vice president of his union in his day and participated in many solidarity actions.  

“My mom and grandfather have always taught me the importance of a union,” Burdette wrote of his family ties to unionism. “For me, this means trying new things and seeing the world through different experiences. All of this would not have been possible if she was not in the union that fights for the worker and their families.”