Kimber Page
Kimber Page of Leesburg, Georgia, is the recipient of the 2020 Knight Scholarship. Page, who grew up in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Tennessee, is dedicated to creating a better future for her community and for her family.
“This award would afford me the opportunity to continue my education without the worry of potentially taking away from my family financially. As a stay-at-home mom of three, my family’s well-being is of utmost importance to me,” she said. “This scholarship would offer me peace of mind, thus allowing me to focus on the success of my academic journey.”
By earning her degree, Page hopes to bring effective change to the criminal justice system, specifically by providing offenders with more therapeutic treatment, education and post-incarceration support.
“I am pursuing my degree in criminal justice administration because I am committed to making a difference and improving the lives of these offenders who often haven’t been given a fair shot at life from the start so they, too, can begin to give back to the community that has raised them.”
She will use this scholarship to pursue a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice administration.
Juan Steele
Juan Steele is the recipient of the 2020 Robert G. Mayes Memorial Scholarship. Steele, who has served 20 years in the U.S. Army, plans to use his degree to work for the Department of Veterans Affairs to ensure that veterans’ financial needs are met.
“The veteran’s claims process is very important to service members and their families. The financial support and medical readiness for those who fought wars and represented our flag are the least we owe these men and women,” he said. “I feel I can make a lasting change in the way veterans are treated and viewed.”
Steele and his family are committed to fighting food insecurity in the Tacoma, Washington, area. Giving back is something that he credits to the values that he learned in the Army.
“My family and I work with the repack program together which sorts food products for distribution to the families that depend on the food bank for daily survival. This weekend service means a lot to me because I know that a few hours out of my weekend, could of be the difference between someone in need eating or going hungry,” he said. “Being in the military, I have been able to provide a lifestyle for my family that I did not have myself. So, it is always been important and ideal to pay my blessings forward. I have instilled these same values in my own son.”
Steele earned his undergraduate degree from CSU. He will use this scholarship to pursue an MBA with a concentration in project management.
Hugo Del Moral
CSU’s 2020 Criminal Justice Scholarship recipient is Hugo Del Moral of Gilroy, California. Del Moral, whose law enforcement career spans 20 years, plans to seek an associate degree in criminal justice administration to strengthen his officer education and training.
“Law enforcement arrest and control techniques are skills that need to be continually honed. Police departments usually only put on one or two training days a year that maybe equal to 10 hours of total training,” he said. “I’ve made it a point to invest in training on my own time to better prepare myself for those stressful situations. This has given me better confidence in dealing with situations that potentially can turn bad.”
Del Moral is also credited with launching “Counter Punch,” a youth boxer program in Gilroy.
“This program is still in its infancy, but I am already starting to see the fruits developing. Teens that come from abusive drug-ridden homes have a safe positive atmosphere to better themselves physically and mentally. Teens suffering from low self-esteem can leave after every training session knowing they did better than their last one.”
Todd Taylor
Todd Taylor of La Plata, Maryland, is the recipient of the 2020 Forever a Hero Scholarship. Taylor is a Coast Guard veteran, 20-year law enforcement veteran and currently serves as the national peer support program manager for the Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
“I recently accepted a position with a unit that was established to build resilience among the women and men who fight crimes of child exploitation, human trafficking, drug smuggling, etc. The unit provides a worldwide response for those who must remain strong through crisis situations and traumatic events,” he said. My five-year goal is to use my unique blend of military law-enforcement experience and education to help the unit more effectively improve the quality of life for more of our brave women and men.”
Taylor plans to use this scholarship to accomplish a worthy personal and professional goal: ensuring his family has a solid foundation to pursue their own education.
“I spent 20 years serving in the military and my family moved nine times with me. If I can complete my graduate degree without acquiring debt, I will to try to repay my children by transferring the educational benefits I have acquired through my military service to them. It will be an honor to help my children get a college education without incurring overwhelming debt.”
Taylor will use this scholarship to pursue a master’s in criminal justice administration.
Disclaimer: These testimonials may not reflect the experience of all CSU students.
Multiple factors, including prior experience, geography, and degree field, affect career outcomes.
CSU does not guarantee a job, promotion, salary increase, eligibility for a position, or other career growth.
