Wren Awards Wyoming School Resource Officer with Scholarship
Wren, a provider of physical security solutions that create safe learning environments, has selected school resource officer Cody Myers of the Riverton, Wyo., Police Department as the 2010 recipient of its second annual $2,500 SRO Scholarship award.
Myers works in the Fremont County School District No. 25. The scholarship, offered and administered through the National Association of School Resource Officers, will be awarded at a special ceremony on Aug. 6 as part of NASRO’s 20th annual SRO/School Safety Conference in Louisville, Ky.
As school-based law enforcement officers, SROs work to protect the school environment and maintain an atmosphere where teachers feel safe to teach and students feel safe enough to learn. They provide a visible and positive image for law enforcement and serve as a confidential source of counseling to students concerning problems they face. SROs also are responsible for sharing expertise that will help young people make more positive choices in their lives. NASRO has more than 6,000 members nationwide, which also include school administrators in addition to SROs.
The Wren Solutions SRO Scholarship was created to help SROs further their education, thereby bringing even more expertise and security strategies to protect the schools they serve. Annual criteria for entrants include employment history as an SRO; contributions to their school, community, law enforcement agency and overall safety programs; using technology to enhance school safety; leadership roles within the community; and an interest in advancing their qualifications as an SRO through continuing education.
“Wren is honored to recognize the exemplary service that Mr. Myers has contributed not only to his local school, community and police department, but also the service he has dedicated to our country as a former member of the armed forces,” said Andrew Wren, president of Wren. “His educational and community activities, which go above and beyond his responsibilities as an SRO, his initiative to train SROs in Wyoming and his drive to further advance himself personally and professionally by pursuing an education make him an ideal scholarship winner.”
At the start of the 2010-2011 school year, Myers will celebrate his fifth year as an SRO in the Riverton school system. During that time, he has been instrumental in starting the Wyoming School Resource Officers Association and will host the first state conference at the local community college in August. In addition to being an SRO, Myers also acts as an educator and instructor with the students at his school and the community through his participation with the National Guard Counter Drug Team’s Stay on Track program; the Eddie Eagle gun prevention program; the AmberWatch Foundation’s Be Safe program; the school district’s anti-bullying committee; the Riverton High School military science course; seat belt safety education; and coaching middle school wrestling, little league baseball and junior football league, among numerous other activities.
Myers also is helping to design a curriculum for a criminal law class he will begin teaching with his sergeant, Charles Marshall, at the high school level in the 2010-2011 school year. Myers is currently enrolled at Central Wyoming College, where he is pursuing criminal justice coursework.
In addition to being the on-campus law enforcement officer to his students, Myers said his involvement in student activities and even relating to students on a peer level helps him to better maintain a safe learning environment.
“The relationships I have made with my students will be with me forever,” he said. “They know they can talk to me about anything, which has proven to be invaluable on many occasions. Students have trusted me with information about drugs, weapons, fights and more. This means the world to me as the safety of our kids and our schools is my highest priority as an SRO.”
Shortly after completing his own high school diploma, Myers attended Sheridan Junior College on a rodeo scholarship, but did not finish due to his decision to join the Army. Ultimately, Myers wants to earn a bachelor’s degree from Central Wyoming College. He plans to continue his work throughout his career as an SRO serving the local schools in Riverton.
“Being able to continue my education has been a lifelong dream,” he said. “I have lived my whole life here on the Wind River Indian Reservation. I see firsthand how education can change a person’s life.”