SILER CITY — This fall, Gisselle Aleman Moreno, a 2020 graduate of Jordan-Matthews High School, is planning to attend Western Carolina University to further her career goal in criminal justice.
When she does, she’ll have some extra funds to help her thanks to a $500 scholarship from the Chatham County Law Enforcement Officers Association.
For more than a quarter of a century, the association — comprised of active and retired Chatham County law enforcement officers — has awarded funds to college-bound high school graduates.
Moreno is this year’s recipient.
“The CCLEO Association has been offering the Chatham County Law Enforcement Officer’s Association Education Scholarship for more than 25 years to high school seniors who have a desire to continue their higher education in the criminal justice field,” said Cathy Judge, the CCLEOA’s secretary. “Their dreams may be to become a local officer that we would see around here, an SBI Agent, an FBI Agent, a CSI Agent or anything related to the criminal justice career field. Our CCLEO Association, with some of our members having over 30 years in membership, feel that this is a way to help start the careers of new law enforcement officers. And that is part of what we are all about. We are so glad that the CCLEOA is able to assist some high school graduates in this way.”
Moreno is this year’s recipient. The CCLEOA notified her of the award on May 9.
While a student at Jordan-Matthews, Moreno was a member of the Beta Club and HOSA and was active in theater, performing in a school play, a musical and the J-M Chorus.
She also volunteered at the PTA Thrift Store.
Moreno, while a student, also worked at the 3rd Street Veterinary and, just prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, had started a job at Taco Bell in Siler City.