Weiler Award honoree follows family tradition of military, police veterans

— By Jennifer Gomori, POJ Editor

Richard R. Weiler Scholarship Award recipient Michael Davedowski is following in the steps of a family line of law enforcement and military service members.

He is off to a great start making quite an impression at Macomb Community College Police Academy being chosen for the Weiler Award and several others. Davedowski graduated May 12, 2023 with a 3.2 GPA and was one of 18 pre-service cadets in a graduating class of 35.

“Mr. Davedowski is a hard-working and dedicated young man, who has been driven to succeed,” said Macomb Police Academy Director Michael Ciaramitaro. “I recall interviewing him for attendance at our academy. He was anxious to start and to do his best, proving that he will become a police officer. He is well-liked by all of his classmates and has a genuinely nice attitude about everything he does.”

The $500 Richard R. Weiler Scholarship Award, sponsored by the Police Officers Labor Council (POLC), is given twice yearly at the discretion of the police academy to graduates who have not been sponsored by any police agency. To qualify for the Award, cadets must pass the Michigan Commission on Law Enforcement Standards (MCOLES) certification test and meet MCOLES employment standards to become certified Michigan Law Enforcement Officers.

He earned his associate’s degree in General Studies from Macomb Community College. At academy graduation, he also received the Stephen Thomas First Responders Scholarship sponsored by the Michigan Schools and Government Credit Union; the Dr. John and Jill DeGutis Endowed Memorial Fire and Police Scholarship; and Joseph Blanke Memorial Award, all totaling $2,780.

He took on a leadership role assisting with in-class academy technology. “I’m pretty good working with IT, so I’d try to get the computer technology going to the best of my ability,” Davedowski said. “I was helping the instructors with it and, if there were any glitches, I’d help fix anything I could.”

Davedowski started his career in law enforcement as a Utica Police Officer on May 17. His family members who have also served are: his cousin, Lawrence Suwalkowski, who served in the Iraq War; his uncle, Joe Golabek, who served in the military in Germany and is a retired Detroit Police Officer; and another cousin, Derek Suwalkowski, a veteran of the Hamtramck Police Department

“Everybody is 20-plus years older than me. I’m 25,” he said. “I’m really excited about the Weiler Award. It’s helpful toward my education and putting me in a great position toward reaching my goals.” d

Birnie Award winner excels in academy while working, taking courses, raising kids

— By Jennifer Gomori, POJ Editor

Darla Afrin achieved the highest overall score for non-sponsored recruits at Law Enforcement Regional Training Academy (LERTA), earning her the Collin Birnie Scholarship Award, despite working weekends, raising four elementary age children and completing her degree.

“I wanted to cry it made me feel so good. To receive that award in front of my children was amazing,” Afrin said. “I will never forget that experience. It made me realize all the hard work and dedication to being the best I can be was worth it.”

Afrin, 37, received a 94.13 percent GPA, excelling in academics as well as physical testing at LERTA. The Collin Birnie Scholarship Award is given twice yearly at the discretion of the college police academy to graduates who have not been sponsored by any police agency. To qualify for the $500 Award, which is sponsored by the Police Officers

Labor Council (POLC), cadets must pass the Michigan Commission on Law Enforcement Standards (MCOLES) certification test and meet MCOLES employment standards to become certified Michigan Law Enforcement Officers.

“The POLC also gave me a Collin Birnie Challenge Coin,” she said. “It’s beautiful – I love it. I was so excited to get that.”

Afrin was one of six pre-service cadets in a graduating class of 22 from LERTA May 4, 2023. The remaining 16 cadets were sponsored by law enforcement agencies through MCOLES grants for training and hiring. “They are with police agencies, but MCOLES actually paid for the academy,” said Kitty Severance, LERTA Staff Assistant.

Afrin, who also received the $300 Donald E. Ewles Criminal Justice Scholarship Endowment, graduated Mott Community College May 6 with a Criminal Justice associate’s degree. “I’ve never had a better ex-