Criminal justice student receives fourth $1,000 scholarship
by Michelle Saport |
UAA student Lena Illig has been awarded a $1,000 Law Enforcement Education Program (LEEP) Dream Scholarship for the fourth year in a row. Illig is among 17 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.
"I would not have been able to afford college if it was not for LEEP awarding me scholarships," Illig wrote in her scholarship application. "I will not let you down once I become an Alaska State Trooper. Alaska was rated the No. 1 most dangerous state in the United States last year. There have been 12 shootings in Alaska since Jan. 1, 2015. I need to graduate and get hired with the department."
Illig is majoring in criminal justice at UAA. She plans to work her way up to the U.S. Marshals or FBI. She works at Aviation Medical Services of Alaska and Planned Parenthood of the Great Northwest. An on‐call volunteer with Anchorage Police Search and Rescue Team and former member of Anchorage Police Citizens Academy, she graduated from the Alaska Military Youth Academy (AMYA) and is a crisis hotline volunteer for Standing Together Against Rape (STAR). Illig is trained and certified in many emergency, medical and law enforcement procedures, including search and rescue, crime scenes, evidence awareness and navigation training. She has participated in police ride-alongs and served as an underage buyer for Alcohol Beverage Control Board in Anchorage.
"I am a social rights advocate, advocating for the victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. I am the campus club organizer for Voices of Planned Parenthood (VOX)," she wrote. "I am also the ambassador of the National Guard Youth Foundation. I was selected because I have dealt with challenges and obstacles in life that inspired and motivated myself to become a better person, and work very hard to have a career in law enforcement."
She has earned several honors and awards for her volunteer work including the UAA Martin Luther King Student Appreciation Recognition and the Point of Light Award from President Bush for bettering the Alaskan community. She 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.
Now in its eleventh year, LEEP has awarded some $140,000 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 leepusa.com for more information about LEEP programs.
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