10-07 Charitable Fund

Dear Candilora Scholarship Donors,

I would like to thank all the donors of the 10-07 Charitable Fund! With your assistance I was able to successfully complete Weber States Police Academy program. Most people don’t realize that the majority of the cadets in the Academy pay their own way through the program. Thank you from the bottom of my heart your donation that helped alleviate a lot of the financial burden!

Admittedly I didn’t always want to be a police officer; however, I have always enjoyed helping others and serving my community. Being a police officer seemed like the best route I could take to be able to help others, serve my community, and support my family. I started at the Academy when I was 27 and met some awesome future officers in my class.

After graduating the Weber States Police Academy, I was hired with Clearfield Police Department and have been a patrol officer for nearly a year. My experience as an officer so far has been incredible! There’s good days, and there’s bad days. There’s boring calls, and there’s exhilarating calls. When I first left the Academy I felt like I knew all there was to know about Law Enforcement. Needless to say I was wrong! Police work is a fun, rewarding career where I’m constantly learning new things!

So again; thank you donors and to the 10-07 Charitable Fund!

Officer Karl Hallin
Clearfield PD

10-07 Fund Awarded for Support of the Academy

Please allow me to share our experience at the sixth graduation since the beginning of the 10-07 Fund. It was amazing! Eleven cadets have received the Toby Candilora Scholarship to date. The ninth, tenth and eleventh cadets graduated yesterday.

Jack and I attended, as we have each graduation. Director Jack Rickards usually introduces us and provides a little background about Toby when they present the scholarships. This year, we were surprised to be presented with an award to the 10-07 Charitable Fund for supporting the law enforcement program at WSU!

Officer Chris Wilkinson Clinton City Police Department

Cameron Kapetanov

Matthew Hassig, WSU Law Enforcement Academy Graduation

Officer Dayne Dyer Clinton City Police Department

Even though WSU’s law enforcement academy has been in existence since 1964, the Toby Candilora Scholarship is the first one of its kind. This has been, from its very inception, a collective effort, and we want to take this opportunity to thank our family and friends for supporting this endeavor. We could not do it without each and every one of you.

The award was presented by no other than Clinton City Police Chief Bill Chilson, who has hired two scholarship recipients from this graduating class, class representative Dayne Dyer and Chris Wilkinson. After the Chief presented their diplomas, he approached Jack (Jones) and me, held out his hand to shake mine, and pressed a Clinton PD ‘challenge coin’ against the palm of my hand. He said, “Toby was one of my first reserve officers. And one of my favorites.” CHILLS.

Cadet, now Officer, Dyer’s commencement speech was eloquent and truly touched my heart. Dyer told of the rigors of training physically to be a law enforcement officer. He cautioned, however, that without training one’s mind, and preparing mentally, it would be impossible to do the job. As a Mom, my mind went to Toby, and the last year of his life. I thought of all of the work he did for so many years to train his mind to do the job that he loved so much. It certainly served him well in his final challenge.

I wish that I could convey the gratitude expressed yesterday by the scholarship recipient graduates – and their extended family members. We’re hopeful that reading the thank you notes give you a similar heartwarming experience and validation that, in some small way, we are making a difference.

Thank you for all your love and support!

Sincerely,

Robyn Jones

Dear 10-07 Fund,

I wanted to give you an update on how life is for me after receiving the scholarship and graduating from Weber State’s Police Academy. During my graduation I was awarded a plaque from the Utah POST Board for Excellent Ethics during my time at the academy.

I was hired by my home town Police department of Ogden City and am currently a patrol officer. I received my job right after graduation and could not be more grateful of the opportunities that have been presented to me. Since being with Ogden City I have also become of member the department’s Honor Guard. Within the first two months of working with the city I received an excellent work certificate and I strive every day to make a difference in anyone’s lives that I come in contact with while on or off duty.

Matthew Hassig, Ogden City Police Department

Matthew Hassig, WSU Law Enforcement Academy Graduation

Matthew Hassig, Army Reserves

Along with being a Police Officer I am currently enlisted as a Sergeant in the United States Army Reserves where I’ve utilized my experiences from being a Police Officer to become a better soldier every day. I use the skills I learned in school and while on duty within my Army career to help in my decision making and also have become a better mentor and leader for the soldiers I lead in the 744th Engineers.

The passion I have for being an officer has inspired a few of my friends to even start their paths in pursuing a career in policing. One of my friends was hired by Roy City after graduating from Weber State’s Police Academy after my graduating class.

Ultimately, I wanted to say thank you from the bottom of my heart for the opportunity the foundation helped provide me.

Sincerely,

Matt Hassig

Dear Scholarship Donor,

Thank you for helping me achieve my goals with this scholarship. It has been very stressful for me and my family and this has greatly reduced the financial burden on us while I attend the Law Enforcement Academy at Weber State University.

Officer Chris Wilkinson Clinton City Police Department

This means the world to me and my family. I am very excited to get out there and start serving our community and learning what it means to be an officer. After the Academy I plan to get my bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and advance further into my career. This has been a huge help getting me onto my new path and achieving my goals.

Thank you again for helping me on this journey into law enforcement.

Sincerely,

Officer Chris Wilkinson
Clinton City Police Department

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Dear 10-07 Fund Donors,

I would like to take this time to thank the donors for selecting me as the recipient for the Toby Candilora Scholarship. This scholarship has helped to relieve a huge financial stress for my family and me. Having to support a family while going to school and attempting to work full time is very trying and with your generous donation has become that much easier.

Since I was thirteen I have always dreamed about being a police officer. At a young age, I had my first experience of an unexpected death of a family member in an auto accident. The sheriff that came to our aid was so compassionate and empathetic that it rerouted my life. I knew from that day forward that is what I wanted to be. I wanted to be a light in the community. I wanted to be the one that people turned to for an unconditional and unbiased source of protection and safe guard for whatever may come. As an officer I will provide just that within my community. I will serve without fear or favor, malice or ill will, and I will keep true to the community that looks to me as a public servant.

The academy has been a great experience and laid a strong foundation for my career as a police officer. I established many great friendships and met a lot of extraordinary people. I am so grateful for the opportunity that was given to me to attend the Weber State University Police Academy. I was able to get into better shape and learn all that I needed to make myself successful as a police officer and through this scholarship, it has given me the opportunity to lose stress and worry financially and focus 100% on my further education and career.

I am currently employed as a police officer with Roy City Police Department and working on my field training. I aspire to donate my time and eventually work my way into participating at Weber State university as an instructor in their law enforcement academy.

Thank you again for this great honor,

Officer Zachary Baker
Roy City Police Department

Dear Candilora and Jones Families,

I am blessed and honored to be receiving the Candilora 10-07 Scholarship. I put my whole soul and desire for becoming a police officer, while still focusing on my family, into the essay. This is the greatest blessing that my family could have received from your family. I cannot thank you enough for your love and generosity toward your family and me.

On my journey through the Police Academy I struggled and stressed about so many things, especially the financial burden it placed on my family. I would like to personally express my gratitude towards your family. My family is now able to start on a better note because of your assistance. May God bless your family for the love you have given us. Thank you.

Sincerely,

Presten Craig Armstrong