UAA student Lena Illig receives third $1,000 police scholarship
by Michelle Saport |
UAA student Lena Illig has been awarded a $1,000 Law Enforcement Education Program (LEEP) Dream Scholarship for the third year in a row. Illig is among 21 top students who will receive the award to encourage their pursuit of law enforcement/public safety careers by the professional public safety officers of LEEP.
Illig is majoring in criminal justice. "I want to pursue my master's degree," she wrote in her scholarship application. "My career goal is to become an Alaska State Trooper, work up to the U.S. Marshals and then the FBI. I have been preparing to go into law enforcement for years. I have worked with domestic violence and sexual assault victims and also suicidal people."
Illig works at Aviation Medical Services of Alaska. She is an on-call volunteer with Anchorage Police Department Search Team. A member of Anchorage Police Department Citizens Academy, she graduated Alaska Military Youth Academy (AMYA) and is a Crisis Hotline volunteer for Standing Together Against Rape. Illig created educational materials for teens to prevent STDs/STIs and unwanted pregnancy through Planned Parenthood of the Great Northwest. She has training and certification in many emergency medical procedures, and law enforcement protocols including search and rescue, crime scenes, evidence awareness, and navigation training. She participated in several ride-alongs and served as an underage buyer for Alcohol Beverage Control Board in Anchorage.
She has earned several honors and awards for her volunteer work including the Spirit of Youth Award for her service as a rape crisis hotline counselor and the Point of Light Award from President Bush for her dedication to bettering the Alaskan community. She is Ambassador for the National Guard Youth Foundation Challenge Program and holds memberships in several law enforcement clubs including American Criminal Justice Association Lambda Alpha Epsilon, Women in Federal Law Enforcement, University of Alaska Justice Club, Alaska Peace Officers Association and Women Police of Alaska.
Through Illig's fundraising, the Alaska Police Department Auxilliary Search Team offers a $250 scholarship to students seeking a degree in law enforcement.
In its tenth year, LEEP has awarded some $123,000 in Dream scholarships to students showing a demonstrated interest in public service/law enforcement careers. The nonprofit public safety group's scholarship program is made possible by a growing list of national supporters.
Visit www.leepusa.com for more information about LEEP programs.
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