I have grown up in a family that has taught me the importance of missions, service, and community involvement. Even as a small child, I was given opportunities to serve in a variety of ways which have helped me become familiar and comfortable with people who are sometimes neglected or rejected. Some of these groups include homeless, elderly, and handicapped people. One specific project that has become a tradition for me is serving as part of the Joseph Thomas Foundation Biathlon. This event is set up for medically fragile children, and I enjoy getting to play the sports alongside the children to cheer them on and help them be successful. Throughout my four years of high school, I have had the opportunity to learn about the importance of servant-leadership and investing in the lives of others through my school's student leadership team. One special aspect of my leadership team experience that taught me a lot is through being a student “buddy group” leader. As a buddy group leader, I have been responsible for a small group of younger students who have looked up to me as a mentor. I have no doubt that my experiences in serving my community have shaped my desire to enter law enforcement. Even as a little girl, I remember looking up to law enforcement with admiration. When I was in third grade, I had to write an essay for career day. My essay was about the courage and kindness of police officers, and how becoming one would be my dream job. Because of my dad's work in the personal protection field, I have grown up with many local officers as close family friends. One officer that has made a special impact on me is Greg Spann. Officer Spann serves as a school resource officer on my campus and also serves as a Parker County Sheriff. I appreciate the way Officer Spann shows how much he cares about each life that he serves and makes a point to get to know people as often as he can. Although he is always professional and demonstrates confidence and courage, he does not hesitate to relate to everyone he encounters. I have watched him bend down to gently interact with a small child, and often high-fives the older kids in the hall. As I learned about Officer Mike Braem, I am inspired by the the way he prioritized building relationships with everyone he met. At first glance, it may seem like a simple act that Officer Braem was able to cultivate an atmosphere of trust and believed that everyone deserved a second chance, but by approaching his work in this way undoubtedly impacted many lives in profound ways. Over the last few years as I have watched many incidents of civil unrest unfold in our world along with the defund the police movement, I have become passionate about supporting our police and decided to dedicate my life to law enforcement. I am looking forward to attending Abilene Christian University in the fall and plan to study Criminal Justice. My goal is to become a detective with the Texas Department of Public Safety. Especially in the line of work that I am planning to pursue, having a heart for our community and compassion for people is very important. I look forward to allowing what I’ve learned through service to benefit the lives of people in my family, in my school, in my community, and beyond just as Officers Spann and Braem have done. Thank you for providing this scholarship and giving me the opportunity to apply.

I have grown up in a family that has taught me the importance of missions, service, and community involvement. Even as a small child, I was given opportunities to serve in a variety of ways which have helped me become familiar and comfortable with people who are sometimes neglected or rejected. Some of these groups include homeless, elderly, and handicapped people. One specific project that has become a tradition for me is serving as part of the Joseph Thomas Foundation Biathlon. This event is set up for medically fragile and special needs children, and I enjoy getting to play the sports alongside the children to cheer them on and help them be successful. Throughout my four years of high school, I have been selected as part of my school’s student leadership team. Through my experiences on this team, I have had the opportunity to learn about the importance of servant-leadership. I have gotten to experience first-hand the joy that comes from putting others first, volunteering in our community through mission and service projects, investing in the lives of others, and encouraging others. One special aspect of my leadership team experience that taught me a lot is through being a student “buddy group” leader on our campus. As a buddy group leader, I have been responsible to a small group of younger students who have looked up to me as a role model. I have learned the importance of bringing positive energy to our buddy group meetings – even if I am having a bad day, these students rely on me to be an encouragement, an example, and provide them with helpful advice. I’ve also learned a lot through many other service projects we have gotten to participate in and around our community. One of the valuable things I’ve learned is that through humble service, the one who is doing the service is often the one who gets the blessing. I specifically remember one time when I worked with Hearts Full of Love (HFOL) to serve food to people who were in need. It was a freezing cold day, and I was tired and sore from the work. However, at the end of the day I left that service project feeling energized and encouraged. I have no doubt that my experiences in serving my community have shaped my desire to enter law enforcement. Even as a little girl, I remember looking up to law enforcement with admiration. When I was in third grade, I had to write an essay about what I wanted to be when I grew up. My essay was about the courage and kindness of police officers, and how becoming one would be my dream job. Over the last few years as I have watched many incidents of civil unrest unfold in our world along with the defund the police movement, I have become even more passionate about supporting our police and decided to dedicate my life to law enforcement. I am looking forward to attending Abilene Christian University in the fall and plan to study Criminal Justice. My goal is to become a detective with the Texas Department of Public Safety. Especially in the line of work that I am planning to pursue, having a heart for our community and compassion for people is very important. I look forward to allowing what I’ve learned through service to benefit the lives of people in my family, in my school, in my community, and beyond. Thank you for providing this scholarship and giving me the opportunity to apply.