In her application essay, Niekerk described how volunteering at Garden Terrace Nursing Home helped confirm her career choice.
“I realized it's not just a job; it's a responsibility to show up for people when they're at their most vulnerable,” she wrote.
Niekerk served as president of CHS’s Generations of Smiles Club for four years. She also spent four years as a gymnastics coach and instructor at the Madison Y, worked as a lifeguard at Minisink Swim and Racquet Club and babysat for local families.
Presented at CHS commencement, the scholarship was established through the efforts of longtime squad volunteer and former president Christine K. Grobert and named in her honor in 2019. A seven-member committee reviewed anonymous applications, considering volunteerism, essays and the scholarship’s financial impact.
The Chatham Emergency Squad is an all-volunteer, donation-funded organization that provides emergency services without charging patients. It also supports community and school athletic events and offers free CPR training. To learn more, donate or volunteer, visit chathamemergencysquad.org.