Columbia Southern University, National Sheriffs' Association Award Deputies Scholarships
ORANGE BEACH, Ala. (PRWEB) July 19, 2013 -- Columbia Southern University (CSU) and the National Sheriffs’ Association recently awarded scholarships to Deputy Dawn Rosenberry of the Fauquier County (Va.) Sheriff's Office and Deputy Kirk Rains of Kings County (Wash.) Sheriff’s Office.
Through a partnership with CSU, members of the NSA can compete in an essay contest for a two-year scholarship to be used toward an online degree at CSU. The deputies will use the scholarship toward online degrees with CSU.
“I applied for this scholarship because it has been a goal of mine for some time to complete my Bachelor’s Degree,” explained Rosenberry, who will seek an online Bachelor’s Degree in criminal justice administration. “I earned my associate degree in criminal justice in December 2005 and began my career in law enforcement immediately after. Like many others in my position, it was hard to make the decision to return to school when I am still paying student loans from my previous degree. I ultimately decided that I would make it work no matter what because it was something that was important to me.”
Rosenberry said she has had an interest in public service and the criminal justice system since high school.
“After beginning my career and watching my co-workers in their different roles, I found that it was the patrol and crime prevention aspects that I was really interested in,” she said.
“I love the interaction that I am able to have with the community and I am thankful for the opportunity that we have to make a difference in the lives of others. This degree will aid in my career both now and in the future. Any knowledge, whether it be college, training, or work experience, is key to a successful career.”
Rains plans to use the scholarship to pursue an online master’s degree in occupational safety and health.
“My current assignment is at the county airport, better known as Boeing Field in South Seattle. There, we do both police and aircraft fire rescue, so I am also a certified firefighter,” he said.
“I realized how lacking police services, compared with fire services, was with occupational health and safety awareness and prevention. Thus, I recognized the need for more research and promotion in this area of policing since it has more work-related injuries and rehabilitative costs than police officers killed or injured while dealing with perpetrators,” said Rains, who has worked with the department for 14 years.
Prior to law enforcement, Rains served 20 years in the military. He is also a certified firefighter and EMT in Washington.
CSU offers online associate, bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree programs in various fields including criminal justice, fire science, occupational safety and health, and business administration. To learn more about CSU, please visit http://www.ColumbiaSouthern.edu. To learn more about the NSA, visit http://www.ColumbiaSouthern.edu/NSA.
Anthony Cornealius, Columbia Southern University, 800-977-8449, [email protected]
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