Police Department Association Awards Scholarships

Eight college students will now have help with their tuition this coming school year thanks to the Manassas City Police Association (MCPA) Charitable Foundation and the Sgt. John D. Conner III Memorial Scholarship.

Eight students received $750 each as part of the 2012 scholarship program.

The program was founded in 2002 and is funded with the assistance of local businesses and private donations. This year, the program awarded scholarships to five children of Manassas City Police Department employees and one qualifying Osbourn High School student taking classes in law enforcement or criminal justice.

They are: Third year recipients Holly P. Barnes (Radford University), Cameron A. Findlay (Christopher Newport University) and Matthew S. Goodman (Marymount University). 

Catherine A. Findlay (Bridgewater College) is a second year recipient, while Scott A. Goodman (Virginia Tech) and Erica A. Hush (George Mason University) are both first year recipients.

Matthew Goodman is a rising junior whose dad retired from the Manassas City Police Department. He said the award will help him achieve his goal of following in his father's footsteps with a career in  law enforcement or criminal justice.

Erica A. Hush is a rising senior who is working a full time job this summer as well as taking summer classes at George Mason University.  She is working towards earning a degree in Math in hopes of becoming a teacher.

In 2011, the MCPA expanded their scholarship program by creating the Sgt. Conner Employee Leadership Scholarship to assist the employees of the department by helping expand their education. Second year recipient Sgt. Tara L. Moore-Petty (George Mason University) and first year recipient Jeremy A. Bergeron (George Mason University) are the 2012 recipients of this award.

Bergeron, who is a dispatcher for the MCPD, is a rising senior who would like to continue his education after graduating to eventually become a middle or high school.

The Manassas City Police Association has awarded $91,500 in scholarship funds since its inception in 2002, including this years awards, which totalled $6,000.

The scholarship fund is also maintained by the held every spring in Old Town. The race and scholarship program both who was killed in the line of duty on July 24 1988.