AMERICUS — LaTavius McIntosh of Dawson and Brock Turner of Americus were presented with Lou Crouch Law Enforcement Scholarships at the South Georgia Technical College (SGTC) Law Enforcement Academy Class 15-02 graduation ceremonies held in the John M. Pope Industrial Technology Center on the SGTC Americus campus recently.
McIntosh and Turner both earned their Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) certification from the South Georgia Technical College Law Enforcement Academy. Turner also received the Top Gun Award for the 15-02 graduation class for excelling on the firing range.
Both Turner and McIntosh expressed their appreciation for being selected as the Lou Crouch Law Enforcement Scholarship recipients.
“I am so grateful for this scholarship and for Lou Crouch’s support of this program,” said Turner. “I want to be the person that stands up for the weak and shows compassion to the ones who may not deserve it. I want to be the person that helps make my community a safer place for everyone in it. This scholarship has helped me realize my dream of becoming a law enforcement officer.”
McIntosh added, “As a student with limited resources, this scholarship means a great deal to me. I had always dreamed of becoming a police officer, but when I dropped out of school my 11th-grade year I thought I had lost that opportunity. After working several part-time jobs, I knew I had to go back to school and get my high school diploma.
“I started going to night school until I finished it. I did get a job as a security guard but I wanted more. So I enrolled at South Georgia Technical College in the Law Enforcement Academy. It was so hard trying to work at night and give the academy my full attention during the day, but with the help of family and friends and this scholarship, I made it,” said McIntosh.
Both Turner and McIntosh thanked SGTC Dean for Academic Affairs and Law Enforcement Academy Instructor Vanessa Wall and LEA Director Brett Murray for their support and influence.
McIntosh said, “There were plenty of days that I just felt like giving up on the academy and going back to work but the encouraging words and prayers of my mother and family and close friends kept me going. My dream has always been to be a police officer. By the grace of God I am now able to say that I did it.”
Turner also said that it has been his lifelong dream to join the law enforcement profession.
“From my grandfather to my father, law enforcement has become more than a job; it has become a way of life. I have spent three months in intensive training, and hours of learning about law enforcement education and I must say my thoughts and views towards police officers have changed radically. I thought I knew everything there was to know about being a police officer, but the reality of it is that there is so much more to a cop than a gun and a badge; being a cop is about being a special type of person with a special type of heart.
“Law enforcement is a profession that takes a brave, loving, caring, and selfless person. Just like everything in life, this profession comes with its own special set of problems. However, the satisfaction and sense of accomplishment outweigh the problems that will be faced during my journey as a police officer. I am thankful for South Georgia Tech and Lou Crouch for helping me with this dream.”
Lou Crouch of Centerville endowed his first scholarship in January 2013, to assist students who enrolled in the SGTC  Law Enforcement Academy. He was on hand to present the scholarship certificate and the scholarship check to Turner and McIntosh at graduation.
“I have had the opportunity to volunteer with law enforcement officers around the state and I am very grateful to them for their service and dedication,” said Crouch. “I am very pleased that I am able to give back to and help deserving law enforcement academy students at South Georgia Technical College.”
SGTC Vice President of Institutional Advancement Su Ann Bird thanked Crouch for the endowed scholarship and for the assistance that he was providing for SGTC Law Enforcement Academy students.
“This scholarship is a tremendous help to the young men and women who are training to become public servants and work as law enforcement officers here in Georgia,” said Bird. “This scholarship is not only helping our students but it is making our communities safer and we appreciate Lou Crouch’s involvement and financial support of this program and our students.”