Detective Kerrie Orozco First Responders Scholarship Awarded to Two Deserving SCCJ Students

Omaha – Omaha Police Detective Kerrie Orozco, killed in the line of duty on May 20, 2015, lives on through the many memorials established in her honor. One of those memorials, the Detective Kerrie Orozco First Responders Scholarship, was recently awarded for the first time to two deserving University of Nebraska Omaha students majoring in criminology and criminal justice.

The scholarship was established to commemorate the life of Kerrie Orozco, who in addition to being a police officer, wife, mother, and step-mother, was an avid volunteer passionate about helping Omaha’s youth. Orozco devoted countless hours coaching a baseball team at the Boys and Girls Club of North Omaha. She was active in the Girl Scouts organization and the Nebraska Special Olympics. She participated in the Shop with a Cop program and the annual Easter egg hunt hosted by the Black Police Officers Association (BPOA) and the Latino Peace Officers Association (LPOA). Reaching out to children in need came naturally to Orozco. She wanted to better their lives and offered them hope by showing them that there were people in the community who cared about their well-being.

In keeping with Orozco’s spirit, the scholarship that bears her name emphasizes that its recipients be community service oriented and possess a desire to pursue a career as a first responder upon graduating from UNOs School of Criminology and Criminal Justice. Juniors Kylee Askew and Zach O’Connor were named as the inaugural recipients of the Detective Kerrie Orozco First Responders Scholarship.

Askew, who graduated from Omaha Benson High School, is majoring in criminology and criminal justice and minoring in Spanish. She became active in volunteering as a youngster and while in college has given her time freely to several organizations including the North Omaha Learning Center, the Omaha Police Department, UNOs Goodrich Scholarship Program, and UNOs Criminal Justice Student Organization, in which she served as vice-president during the 2015-2016 academic year.

O’Connor is a graduate of Papillion-LaVista High School and is majoring in criminology and criminal justice while minoring in emergency management. His volunteer activities include coaching youth basketball, bell ringing for the Salvation Army, and lending a hand each year at the annual Omaha Czech Festival.

In addition to their volunteer work, both Askew and O’Connor excel in the classroom and work part-time jobs to help cover their college expenses. They both hope to someday join the ranks of the police department and follow in Detective Orozco’s footsteps.

Anyone interested in contributing to the Detective Kerrie Orozco First Responder Scholarship, or any scholarship established in support of students studying in the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice, should contact the University of Nebraska Foundation at 800-432-3216 or visit their website at www.nufoundation.org.