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By Su Ann Bird

 

AMERICUS – Marcellous Deshun of Arlington, GA was awarded the initial Chief Vanessa Wall Criminal Justice/Law Enforcement Scholarship by the South Georgia Technical College Foundation at the SGTC Law Enforcement Academy 21 – 02 graduation ceremony.

The endowed scholarship was established in honor of Assistant Vice President of Student Affairs Vanessa Wall who began her career at South Georgia Technical College nearly 20 years ago as the initial Criminal Justice Instructor.  She grew that program into one of the largest enrollment programs on the Americus campus and helped expand the program to the Crisp County campus. She was also instrumental in establishing the college’s POST certified Law Enforcement Academy.  She is retiring from her many duties at SGTC effective January 4, 2022.

Her nearly two decades of hard work and dedication was honored recently in front of family, friends, fellow law enforcement officials, and students, with the announcement of a new endowed Criminal Justice/Law Enforcement scholarship established in her honor during the SGTC Class 21-02 Law Enforcement Graduation and the awarding of the initial scholarship to  Deshun.

Lou Crouch of Bryon endowed the new scholarship as a tribute to Wall and to help students who enrolled in the South Georgia Technical College Law Enforcement Academy and Criminal Justice programs.  He has endowed four different scholarships in honor of or in memory of law enforcement officers and been responsible for providing 29 scholarships to SGTC students since January 2013.

Deshun is a former Marine who chose to attend South Georgia Technical College to earn his POST certification and enter a career as a Law Enforcement Officer.  In addition to earning the Chief Vanessa Wall Criminal Justice/Law Enforcement Academy Scholarship, Deshun was also recognized as the Class Representative for Class 21-02 and presented with the Top Gun award.

Deshun, who is married and a father, expressed his appreciation to South Georgia Technical College, the SGTC Foundation and to Chief Wall and others for the scholarship.  “I am very honored to receive this scholarship and I am very grateful to Chief Wall and Lou Crouch for providing this opportunity to me and to many others in the years to come,” said Deshun.  “This scholarship will allow me to focus on my education and also help me toward my goal of making my community better.”

The 22-year old is dedicated to helping others and he began that life of service by joining the Marines and now entering the Law Enforcement career.  “I knew whatever career path I chose would evolve around helping people.  Marrying my wife and becoming a father only enhanced my ambitions.  Realizing my goal of becoming a law enforcement officer is icing on the cake.”

South Georgia Technical College Foundation Executive Director and SGTC Vice President of Institutional Advancement Su Ann Bird thanked Lou Crouch for his support of the foundation and the Law Enforcement Academy.  “Lou Crouch has made it possible for many students to attend the SGTC Law Enforcement Academy and he will continue to touch the lives of future generations with his generous gift of an endowed scholarship in honor of Chief Vanessa Wall,” said Bird.  “Your investment in an endowed scholarship will continue to give back to students indefinitely.  Thank you again for recognizing the value of the educational opportunities SGTC provides to students”

For more information about donating to the SGTC Foundation or endowing a scholarship at South Georgia Technical College, contact Su Ann Bird, Executive Director of the SGTC Foundation and Vice President of Institutional Advancement at 229.931.2110 or sbird@southgatech.edu.  Contributions may also be mailed to the SGTC Foundation, P.O. Box 6102, Americus, GA.   Additional donations can be added to the Chief Vanessa Wall Criminal Justice/Law Enforcement Scholarship fund and all donations will be recognized and shared with the Wall family.