A celebration honoring anti-racism activists in Minnesota recognized six people who are working to build communities where everyone feels safe, valued and respected.
Saint Paul Foundation awarded faculty member Dr. Nadarajan “Raj” Sethuraju the Ambassador Award at the May 9 celebration. This award comes with $5,000 and it is designated for the Law Enforcement Opportunities (LEO) scholarship program.
Dr. Sethuraju believes his work and the education of his students at Metropolitan State University are intimately connected to the improvement, evolution and development of the criminal justice community. He attempts not to lead from the “Ivory Tower,” but in the trenches of the system; using his expertise and scholarly work to truly marry academia and practice. When asked what the award means for him and for Metro State, he explained,
“The award is given to those who have been identified as champions of racial equity work by dismantling the structures of institutional and systematic racism. I am honored and humbled to be recognized in this cohort of champions and to come behind so many great minds and spirits who have been given this ambassador award in the past ten years. The anti-racism and equity work cannot be done alone; I am glad that there are strong communities both on campus and in the greater community who support and champion this mission.
“Our campus’ commitment to address the trauma of racism and work towards realizing the vision of being an anti-racist campus have been both an inspiration and a vocation. Our campus’ location and patrons deserve our commitment and hard work that is aimed at creating a safe and dynamic community, society and nation. I am committed to continue this work everyday with or without these recognition because our humanity matters.”
Metropolitan State University students are balancing an array of obligations and the impact of financial support is great, sometimes the determining factor to reach graduation. This is where LEO can help.
Law Enforcement Opportunities (LEO) is a non-profit organization operated by a volunteer Board of Directors. LEO has a commitment to diversifying the law enforcement, criminal justice, and corrections professions, and this commitment has resulted in the development of a yearly scholarship opportunity. Their goal is to provide financial assistance in the form of scholarships to individuals interested in pursuing careers in law enforcement, criminal justice, or corrections. Eligible applicants may receive up to $1,000 in scholarship money to fund their education and training.
The LEO Organization host’s a career fair each year and proceeds are directed to the LEO Scholarship Program. The LEO Career Fair is open to all and is an opportunity for those interested in exploring the law enforcement and corrections profession’s to network and gain information. The LEO Scholarship Program provides eligible applicants the opportunity to compete for scholarship awards. Past LEO Scholarship Recipient’s in-turn commit volunteer time at the LEO Career Fair; this supports their networking opportunities.