I believe that in order to be successful in a law-enforcement related career, it is crucial that one has a servant's heart. Leadership and service are closely intertwined. Especially in recent years with law enforcement receiving a bad reputation, it is critical for those who work in public service or loss prevention, to first have a heart for others and have a desire to help in various situations. This conviction became impressed on me during high school. I was fortunate to attend a school with an emphasis on raising up student leaders with hearts for humble service. For four years I was selected to lead as part of our school's group of student leaders through SALT (Student Action Leadership Team). As a SALT Team member, I get to serve as a student ambassador to represent our student body to the community and prospective families. Another role I served was as a Buddy Group Leader. Once each month I was able to meet with a group of students that I got to build relationships with throughout the year, serve as their mentor, disciple them, and serve as a "big sister" to them. All students are expected to participate in a variety of mission and service projects each year. Some of my favorite projects that we've gotten to do are serving food for Hearts Full of Love, serving at our local children's home (The Pythian Home), serving at the Joseph Thomas Foundation Biathlon benefiting special needs children, and serving at a local assisted living home. Through these projects and others, I have learned that in order to be respected as a leader, one must first be willing to serve and help those in need. It has become second nature to seek opportunities to make the world a better place as often as I can through service. Because of my commitment to service, I have been selected for several awards including the 2022 Shining Star, John C. Stevens Award, and National Honor Society. Since I was a little girl, I wanted to pursue a career involving criminal justice. I have always admired those in law enforcement, and now am committed to leading and serving through my career. I am a sophomore at Abilene Christian University majoring in criminal justice. I do not receive financial assistance from my parents, and maintain a job while I am enrolled in school to help pay my bills. This scholarship would help relieve some of the financial burden of school and allow me to pursue some extra-curricular activities and volunteer work. The past three years I have worked at a retail store. The store employs a Texas State Trooper to aid in loss prevention. I have enjoyed building a relationship with the officer while I am working, and have learned a great deal that has encouraged me to continue in my path toward law enforcement. Last summer I was able to meet Wende Wakeman, the first female Texas Ranger Major in the history of Texas DPS. My visit with Major Wakeman was important in solidifying my goals and plans for my future. Major Wakeman encouraged me in pursuing a career with the Texas DPS. I believe that I am deserving of this scholarship because of my unique combination of qualities, achievements, and aspirations. Although I spend most of my free time working to pay for school, I have been able to maintain a 3.85 GPA, love my daily run, enjoy volunteering when I can, and am looking forward to pursuing a career with the Texas DPS. Thank you for the opportunity to apply for this scholarship.

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.