Amato and Thebo Announced as Recipients of Fall 2024 Second-Career Scholarships

LINCOLNSHIRE, IL — January 22, 2025 — The Selected Educational Trust has announced the two latest recipients of its signature Second-Career Scholarship Program. The recipients, Calvin Amato and Dachota Thebo, were awarded scholarships in the amount of $1,500 each. 

Running for 15 years and awarding more than 60 scholarships, this program was created to meet the educational needs of the increasing number of second-career professionals entering independent funeral service seeking positions as funeral directors, embalmers and future leaders. 

Calvin Amato, set to graduate from the Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science in December 2025, comes to the funeral service profession after working more than a decade in hospitality management and quality assurance. “While my previous decade-long career provided me with a wealth of experience and knowledge, there was always a nagging sense of longing for something more,” said Amato. “I believe that my unique blend of experiences and skills paired with my vision will enable me to make a meaningful contribution to the future of funeral service. By staying attuned to the needs of the families I serve, embracing innovation and change, and working collaboratively with my colleagues and mentors, I am confident that I can help shape a more compassionate and responsive profession.”

Dachota Thebo is currently enrolled at Fine Mortuary College in Norwood, MA, where she has maintained perfect attendance and earned a spot on the Dean’s List each term while simultaneously working full-time, parenting three active children, and supporting her active-duty submariner husband on the home front during long deployments, often with no communication.  “Upon graduation, I expect to find employment with an independently-owned funeral home where I can focus on restoration and help provide personalized services to families,” said Thebo. “The personal connection with families is what draws me to the field and solidifies my decision to make this my new career path.”

“Each year, the review committee for this scholarship program pours over upwards of 50 applications, each submission more impressive than the last. Calvin and Dachota impressed us with their passion and commitment to the profession,” said Stefanie Favia, the Trust’s Executive Director. “It is the greatest fulfillment of the Trust’s mission, when we can continue to provide financial support in the form of educational scholarships to such deserving young professionals.” 

For more information about the Selected Educational Trust, visit www.selectedtrust.org or contact Stefanie Favia at stefanie@selectedtrust.org. 

About the Selected Educational Trust

The mission of the Selected Educational Trust (www.selectedtrust.org) is to provide the best educational opportunities for the advancement and support of all who work within the independent funeral service profession. To fulfill this mission, the Trust provides programs which offer scholarships to mortuary science students and funeral service professionals, online education through its Institute for Exceptional Funeral Service powered by National Guardian Life Insurance Company (www.funeral-institute.org) and networking and employment opportunities through its Workforce Development Centers.