Lena Illig, UAA criminal justice student, receives fifth $1,000 police scholarship

UAA student Lena Illig has been awarded a $1,000 Law Enforcement Education Program (LEEP) Dream Scholarship for the fifth year in a row. Illig is among 22 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.

A former cadet of UAA Army ROTC program, Illig is in the UAA Emerging Leaders Program, organizing numerous justice events. "The dedication and diligence that Lena brought to my course are the same attributes she brings to many aspects of her life," wrote David Weaver, director of housing at UAA. "Lena consistently displays the ethic of helping others in and out of the classroom."

"She participated in several television interviews, represented (National Guard Youth Foundation) NGYF and the ChalleNGe program on Capitol Hill and delivered a speech in front of 1,000 of our stakeholders. She represented our organization so well that she was selected to serve as a ChalleNGe ambassador again this year," wrote Juneau Police Chief Bryce Johnson. "She is highly driven and has a strong desire to contribute to society."

Illig works at Aviation Medical Services of Alaska and Planned Parenthood of the Great Northwest and Hawaiian Islands. An on-call volunteer with Anchorage Police Search and Rescue Team and a former member of Anchorage Police Citizens Academy, she graduated Alaska Military Youth Academy (AMYA) and is a Crisis Hotline volunteer for Standing Together Against Rape. She participated in police ride-alongs and served as an underage buyer for Alcohol Beverage Control Board in Anchorage.

"This is my senior year and I have absolutely no idea how I will pay for my upcoming semester," Illig wrote in her scholarship application. "I am pursuing my bachelor's degree in (criminal) justice, and will be graduating with leadership distinction. I am the senator of the University of Alaska. My career goal is to become a police officer or work in federal law enforcement."

She was honored for her volunteer work with UAA Martin Luther King Student Appreciation Recognition and the Point of Light Award from President Bush. She is a member of 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.

Other scholarship winners include: Steven Carlton of Alabama; Kyle Hartsuck of Arizona; Erin Daly of Connecticut; Delaney Henderson of Florida; Faruq Lawal of Georgia; Austin Leggett of Illinois; Samantha Newby of Indiana; Revel Lewis IV and Erik Vokoun of Kentucky; Mason Averill, Blake Erickson, Ryan Ferguson, Jacob King, Jenna Klokkert, Austin Lynema and Victoria Gunst of Michigan; Alexis Hower of Nebraska; Philip Grella of New York; Evan Guin of Tennessee; Rankin DeRonde of Texas; and Michaela MacDonald of Wisconsin. In its 12th year, LEEP has awarded some $162,000 in Dream scholarships to students showing a demonstrated interest in public service/law enforcement careers. The non-profit public safety group's scholarship program is made possible by a growing list of national supporters.

Visit leepusa.com for more information about LEEP programs.

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