Lakewood graduates receive DARE awards

On June 12, during the Lakewood High School scholarship awards presentation, nine seniors were presented with $1,000 each from the Lakewood Police Department’s DARE program. The DARE program, currently in its 20th year nationwide, just finished its 11th year in Lakewood schools.

Officer Mitch Migdon, who has been the DARE officer for the life of the program in Lakewood, reported that the department has awarded DARE scholarships totaling more than $25,000 in the last five years.

The students who receive the award must have remained drug and violence free during their academic careers. They had to compile an essay stating how they have maintained a drug and violence free academic career and why it is important to do so. The essays were evaluated by a committee consisting of an educator, a lawyer, and a merchant who then selected the winners. This year, because of generous donations, the largest amount of scholarship awards to date was distributed.

This year’s essay winners were Jonel Ehret, Rachel Baer, Matthew Gonzalez, Omar Morales, Christine Johnson and Stefani Goralski.

Awards of $1,000 were also given to students who assisted Migdon in the Role Model program. In the Role Model program, high school seniors visit the elementary schools and talk to the students about how they have dealt with high school life while remaining drug and violence free. The three role model award winners were Sam Schnieder, Ashley Cunliffe and Sidney Murray.