Cleary University is proud to announce that 10 of its graduates and students were finalists for the Women in Blue award, honoring outstanding women in the Detroit Police Department and the Detroit Fire Department. The Detroit Public Safety Foundation sponsored the 12th annual celebration, held May 25 at the MGM Grand Casino and Hotel in Detroit.
The 10 Cleary finalists for this annual prestigious honor are:
- Sergeant Pamela Bolden
- Police Officer Alonja Bowlson
- Detective Treva Eaton
- Sergeant Demeisha Fambro
- Police Officer Tiasha Horton
- Sergeant Crystal Johns
- Police Officer Latoya Peacock
- Sergeant LaDawn Russell
- Lt. Beverly Wilson
- Sergeant Kimberly Wilson
A total of 21 women were finalists for the award, almost half from Cleary.
The Women in Blue event is dedicated to spotlighting the outstanding contributions of female first responders in Detroit. These women are nominated by their peers, and a selection committee of department leaders chooses the finalists – Women in Blue Officer of the Year and Detroit Fire Department Woman of the Year.
According to Patti Kukula, executive director of the Detroit Public Safety Foundation, these women are chosen for their professionalism, integrity and commitment to public service. “They are making amazing contributions, serving with strength and compassion, and exhibiting a powerful impact on the communities they serve.”
Detroit Police Chief Todd Bettison and Detroit Fire Department Commissioner Charles Simms presented the awards.
“Cleary is extremely proud and pleased that so many of our graduates and students were nominated for the Women in Blue award,” says Alan Drimmer, PhD, Cleary president. “This honor demonstrates their commitment to excellence and reinforces what Cleary is all about – producing exceptional and ethical leaders who want to make the world a better place.”
Savannah Mann was named Women in Blue Police Officer of the Year and Nashanique Webster was named Women in Blue Firefighter of the Year.
In the fall of 2021, Cleary University and the Detroit Police Department (DPD) announced their partnership for a collaborative degree program whereby DPD officers and staff could earn a bachelor’s or a master’s degree from Cleary through an accelerated program crediting students for work life experience. The Degree Completion Pathway Program, as it was named, was developed in response to the needs of the Detroit Police Department to provide educational training and benefits to officers and staff. All first responders throughout the state are eligible to enroll in this program. Most classes are conducted online, and all students have a dedicated academic advisor who guides them throughout their entire educational experience.
Here are some components of this innovative program that have proven highly effective:
- Fast-tracked: most students can obtain a degree in one year
- Convenient: it fits their work life schedule so students can maintain work life balance
- Affordable: students are eligible for tuition discounts
- Accessible: most classes take place online (one class a week is in person or via Zoom)
- Achievable: students receive the resources to complete coursework successfully so they will graduate.
The program includes a customized prior learning assessment process that provides college credits for previous college coursework, industry certifications and trainings, and life and work experience. Many veteran first responders can complete their bachelor’s degree or master’s in less than one year at Cleary.
