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’s off to a great start, making quite an impression at Macomb Community College Police Academy. Davedowski was chosen for the Richard R. Weiler Scholarship Award and several others. He 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 A. Blanke Memorial Scholarship Fund, 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 towards my education and putting me in a great position towards reaching my goals.”
