WACOPS Youth Scholarship Program

Do you or a fellow officer have a high school senior or college aged student? Beginning in March 1st of each year, the WACOPS scholarship committee begins accepting applications using our online application process. Students will submit both their application and supporting materials through the online platform. 

The WACOPS Youth Scholarship Program was created to provide scholarship funds for children of current WACOPS members who are in good academic standing. To be eligible, students must be a child of a current WACOPS member, between the ages of 17-21, and submit their high school graduation date or proof of a GED certificate. There will be up to 15 - $1,000 scholarship awards granted to student applicants. Past WACOPS scholarship recipients are not eligible to apply. The scholarship may be used at any accredited college, university, or vocational/technical school upon proof of enrollment.

Submission Requirements:

• Completed online application and essays
• One letter of recommendation from a teacher/academic advisor/coach/employer
• High school transcript and college transcript if 1+ years of post-secondary coursework has been completed
• Resume

Thank you for your interest in applying for a WACOPS Youth Scholarship, a link to the 2023 scholarship application will be available on March 1st. 

Apply for a WACOPS Scholarship Here

Congratulations to our 2022 Youth Scholarship Program Award Winners!

Sarah Seevers
Pierce County Deputy Sheriffs Ind. Guild

About Sarah:
Sarah is starting her college career this fall at Central Washington University Honor’s College where she will study both business and music. A passionate member of the Tacoma Youth Chorus since 2014, she looks forward to pursuing music as a career and serving her community through the arts.

She found the most meaningful classes in high school to be Integrated Studies and Strategic Learning Curriculum, both allowing her to learn to expand upon her strengths, self-advocate, develop organizational skills, and how to implement her specific learning style to be successful in an array of environments.
Sarah is also a youth group leader at her church, a Tacoma Youth Chorus mentor, and a Ohana Club Leader at her high school; a club that develops activities to build community focused on inclusiveness. Way to go, Sarah!

Brandon Cilk
Fish and Wildlife Officers Guild

About Brandon:

Brandon is currently a sophomore at WSU pursuing a degree in civil engineering. Growing up, he would go with his father to local fish hatcheries to assist in any ways he could, including fish spawning. Throughout high school, he volunteered with a wildlife biologist in banding mourning doves spending over 100 hours trapping, banding, and recording data on these birds in order to track their migration, life expectancy, and other habits. Although he is an engineering major, he has been helping develop relations between WDFW and the wildlife and ecology professors at the university and has made it a goal to get WSU more involved in wildlife conservation movements during his studies there.

Brandon began a career path in construction during his senior year and quickly earned the trust of his employer with his strong work ethic and desire to learn. He learned a handful of professional skills while juggling online classes during COVID and continues to work with this construction company today. As a true engaged student of the craft, he hopes to get hired with an engineering firm following graduation and eventually build his own construction and trucking company down the road. Congrats, Brandon!

Rese Prater
Fish and Wildlife Officers Guild

About Reese:
Reese is headed to Western Oregon University this fall to pursue a degree path in Education. It has been her lifelong dream to become a teacher and she is excited to begin her program in pursuit of that dream. Reese is an accomplished softball player and led her high school team as the varsity captain during the 2021 and 2022 seasons. She took this role of leadership to heart and stepped up to help other players learn the game of softball, demonstrated what it means to be a good teammate, and was able to guide coaches that were new to the program. While at WOU she is going to pursue playing on the collegiate team alongside her studies. Among her other interests she is an award-winning photographer, employee at her local CrossFit gym, and a regular volunteer with the Toys for Tots program and trash cleanup crew for the City of Lakewood. Way to go, Reese!

Savannah Rowe
King County Police Officers Guild

About Savannah:
Savannah was a delight to learn about with her unique set of interests and skills such as a being a student director in her high school’s drama program and as an award-winning equestrian with her local 4-H and other saddle clubs.

During high school she participated in Running Start where she took a film class for the first time which helped solidify the direction of her college studies. An avid writer and actress, she is excited to explore the world of film production and screenwriting this fall when she heads to the Savannah College of Art and Design in Savannah, Georgia. Way to go, Savannah! Best of Luck.

Trinity Cowles
Spokane Police Lts. & Capts. Assoc

About Trinity:
Trinity is pursuing a career in career in forensic pathology and will be attending Tulane University in the fall to study cellular and molecular biology on the pre-med track. There she plans to prepare for medical school as well as take part in community service and extracurriculars. If all goes well, she will venture onto medical and forensic school and finally apply for a fellowship. The sciences aren’t her only interest and strength, Trinity is an accomplished musician participating in jazz groups, wind ensemble, marching band, and pep band. For the past two years she has been the student liaison for the Superintendent Work Group on Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion at Richland High school as well as the vice president of the German Club, and finally graduating from RHS as an AP scholar with honors. Way to go Trinity! Best of luck with your studies.

Kaisa Oja
Yakima Police Patrolman’s Assoc.

About Kaisa:
It is evident that Kaisa has a strong sense of compassion and empathy for others. This fall she will be attending BYU – Idaho to study Psychology. She hopes that she can use this degree path to pursue a career as a trauma therapist, a behavioral psychologist, or a school counselor. By observing her father work with victims of crime, she has developed a special interest in wanting to help people through personal trauma.

Active in her church and community, Kaisa has volunteered her time with multiple organizations over the years and participated in food drives, clothing drives, making feminine hygiene kits for developing countries, serving meals to the homeless, and landscaping services. At her high school she was active in an array of clubs including American Sign Language, Key Club, and National Honor Society. Way to go Kaisa! Congratulations.

Natalie Alexander
Everett Police Officers Guild

About Natalie:
Natalie recently graduated as the valedictorian of her class and is headed to the Midwest this fall to attend the University of Northwestern. She is excited to explore a broad range of classes during her first year and settle into a degree area that feels right. Active in high school sports, STEM, Spanish as a second language, and the arts, Natalie is a going to excel at whatever she sets her mind to. She is very engaged in her church’s youth ministry, plays piano for the worship team, and volunteers for an array of church related functions helping those in her community. Congrats, Natalie!

Ben Tafoya
Spokane Police Guild

About Ben:
Ben currently attends Spokane Falls Community College studying cybersecurity with a goal of starting his own consulting company and being a pioneer the newest cybersecurity defenses for companies and organizations.

Ben is a national competitor and captain at the Spokane Junior Rifle Team and an elected Quartermaster and Senior Patrol Leader with the local Boy Scout Troop. He has taken these interests and applied them to his current employment as a Range safety Officer at Spokane Rifle Club and Fleet Technician at Spokane PD. In his spare him he has volunteered for the past 9 years as an actor with the Washington Civil War Association, a nonprofit that puts on civil war reenacting events and living history presentations. Way to go, Ben! Congratulations.

Katelyn Bolton
Fish & Wildlife Police Officer's Guild

Katelyn is a junior at Central Washington University studying molecular and cellular biology with a minor in psychology. Her future career goal is to become a Physician’s Assistant specializing in neurology. With her long history of academic success, leadership skills, and deliberate service to her community she will undoubtedly reach her goal in the coming years.

Katelyn’s high school career was painted with a broad range of extracurriculars including varsity softball, jazz band, math team, drama club, student council, and 4-H archery. While at CWU she has been involved with the pre-med club and Resonate church.

One example of her volunteerism is when Covid first hit in 2020, Katelyn volunteered at Klickitat Valley Hospital who asked community members to help sew together masks for the hospital workers and medical centers because of the shortage of N-95 masks. She helped cut out, pin, and sew masks out of surgical sheets which were then issued to incoming patients at the hospital. Way to go, Katelyn! There’s nothing you can’t do!

Ryan Seo
Puget Sound Police Managers Assoc.

Ryan is another of our award recipients headed to Central Washington University this fall. There he plans on majoring in psychology, going through the Army R.O.T.C program and getting commissioned in the Army as an Officer. After a period of time in the Army as an active duty officer he hopes to transition to the National Guard and get a job with a law enforcement agency, following in his father’s footsteps.

Ryan is an active Eagle Scout, NRA youth rifle participant, high school wind ensemble musician, and an Eastside Christian Fellowship Tech Team volunteer. He was most influenced by one of his Running Start courses in psychology which sparked his interest to pursue this degree area at CWU. An excellent choice as he begins his career in the military and eventually law enforcement. Way to go, Ryan!