New York Teen Awarded Memorial Scholarship Honoring Late Son of Assemblyman Smullen

On a warm summer morning outside Canajoharie High School, a heartfelt moment of recognition unfolded. Assemblyman Robert Smullen presented graduating senior Aiden Bowerman with the 2025 Alexander John Smullen Memorial Scholarship—a $5,000 award created to honor the life and legacy of Smullen’s late son, AJ.

AJ Smullen passed away in 2024, a devastating loss for his family and all who knew him. Just a teenager, AJ had already made it clear what he hoped for in life: to pursue a career in the outdoors and live a life rooted in purpose, action, and compassion. That vision now lives on through an annual scholarship bearing his name—offered to a student who shares AJ’s dreams, his drive, and his values.

This year, that student is Aiden Bowerman.

Ranked sixth in his graduating class and a proud member of the National Honor Society, Aiden has become a role model within his school and hometown. He is known not just for his academic success, but for his deep-rooted commitment to public service. Over the last several years, Aiden has dedicated hundreds of volunteer hours with the Ames Fire Department, taking on real responsibilities and learning firsthand what it means to serve others in times of need.

Aiden’s next step is to attend SUNY Cobleskill, where he will train in Emergency Medical Services with the goal of becoming a professional firefighter—a career that blends adrenaline and discipline with compassion and courage. It’s a path that speaks to both his personal calling and the mission behind the scholarship he now carries with him.

In presenting the award, Assemblyman Smullen shared heartfelt words about the meaning behind the moment. “This scholarship is designed to help deserving students pursue an outdoor career, but it’s also about supporting young leaders who want to make a difference in the world. Aiden is courageous, accomplished, and deeply committed to helping others. His dream to save lives is inspiring, and I know he will go far. I’m proud to recognize him with this award.”

The setting was as poignant as the purpose. Canajoharie High School, where Aiden has spent the last four years growing as a student and citizen, served as the backdrop for a ceremony that was less about pomp and more about passing the torch of a young man’s legacy to another who is ready to carry it forward.

For the Smullen family, honoring AJ’s life has become a personal mission. It’s not just about remembering who he was—it’s about finding ways to let his love for the outdoors, his playful spirit, and his compassionate heart continue to touch others. The scholarship is one way to do that. So is giving back to causes AJ would have cared about.

This week, as the Assemblyman celebrated his own birthday on July 29, he took to social media not to focus on himself, but to encourage others to support the Fulton County Regional SPCA—a cause especially close to AJ’s heart. “For my birthday today,” he wrote, “I am asking people to please make a small donation to the Fulton County Regional SPCA. Our son AJ loved dogs, and we are committed to helping our local shelter in his memory. We miss him so much since he passed away last year. He would have been 16 this summer.”

That message included a direct link to the shelter’s donation page, as well as hashtags that echoed the enduring love for AJ: #dogs, #boys, #loveyou. It was a reminder that even in moments of personal celebration, grief and gratitude often walk hand in hand.

The scholarship presentation to Aiden is about more than funding a college education. It’s about planting seeds—of service, of compassion, of community. It’s about giving young people the tools they need to turn loss into legacy, pain into purpose, and memory into momentum.

As Aiden embarks on the next chapter of his life, he does so with more than a scholarship. He carries the story of a boy he never met but who helped shape the road he’s walking. He carries the trust of a community that believes in him. And he carries the understanding that heroism doesn’t always wear a cape—sometimes, it wears turnout gear, answers emergency calls, and simply shows up to help.

In a world that often celebrates loud voices and quick wins, the story of Aiden Bowerman and AJ Smullen is a quiet, powerful reminder of what really matters: character, sacrifice, and the enduring impact of lives lived with heart. As one family continues to grieve and heal, another young man steps forward to serve—with courage, compassion, and a legacy now tied to something much greater than himself.

For more on AJ’s legacy or to contribute to the causes he cared about, donations can be made at http://fcrspca.org/ajslegacy.