Darran Cherep Remembrance Scholarship

I plan to go to college for a Criminal Justice degree and take that to the police academy. I would love to work with a narcotic-searching K-9 or a bite dog. But being a policeman is my main goal. I did a ride-along with a policeman in my hometown this past summer. I rode with him for four, almost five hours and it was so informative. He taught me much more than I expected and I was able to watch him work with his dog, Magnum. It is an amazing thing to see a dog doing his job. I train dogs in Agility, Conformation, Obedience, and other disciplines but nothing compares to watching a policeman and his dog do their job as a team. I helped a policeman in my hometown train his therapy dog for her new job at an elementary school, as an emotional support animal. I love helping anyone out, and he greatly appreciated my expertise. I have always had my eyes on the police field but hadn't thought about being a K-9 handler until last school year. I have family members who are cops, and they love their job. I know a retired Veteran, a family friend who has always been like my "big brother" and he is a policeman in Pennsylvania. He tells me so much about his job and all of the stories, good and bad, but that doesn't change my opinion on that field for my career. I think I could make an impact as a K-9 officer. This is because many people around me don't have faith that I can pursue a career in law enforcement. I believe that if I pursue my dream job as a police officer, many people around me and in my town will see that all things are possible if you keep your mind to it and never give up. I would love to excel in law enforcement. I think a great way that I could make an impact would be by going around to schools or going back to the schools that I attended to teach kids about the need for law enforcement officers. I would do that for them because I never had the opportunity to meet officers or working police K-9s in my middle school or early high school years. I think more officers need to take the time to teach young kids and teenagers, which would be a good goal of mine eventually.