Scholarship Fund Established In Honor Of Fallen Hero
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – A local accounting firm is establishing a scholarship at Indiana University of Pennsylvania in honor of a Pittsburgh Police Officer who was killed in the line of duty.
The scholarship, in honor of Officer Stephen Mayhle, is beginning with an initial $15,000. The accounting firm, KPMG, its employees and some of the firm's clients raised the money.
"What this scholarship will be used for is to help a deserving IUP criminology major with their academic expenses. I understand this scholarship will be, first preference will be given to someone who's had a family member killed in the line of duty as a law enforcement officer," said Dr. Randy Martin, of the IUP Criminology Department. "If we don't have anyone who qualifies for that then we'll look at their grade point average."
Shandra Mayhle said she hopes the scholarship will bring some light out of the dark tragedy of her husband's death.
"Being a policeman was something that he absolutely loved doing. His passion was to protect and serve, and so to have this in place so that others could achieve that goal also is a huge honor," said Mayhle, the fallen officer's widow. "I think it's a very fitting way to honor my husband."
It turns out that Shandra's friend since grade school, Julie Duvall, works at the accounting firm and helped come up with the idea.
"I came to work after the tragedy and many people knew my relationship with Shandra and Stephen, and everybody asked what can we do to help and as time, a month or two went on, I asked Shandra and she came up with this idea, that this would be a wonderful way to honor Stephen in a lasting sense," said Duvall.
Additional contributions to the Mayhle Scholarship can be made through the Indiana University Foundation:
Mayhle/KPMG Memorial Scholarship through the Foundation for IUP
1011 South Drive
103 Sutton Hall
Indiana, Pa. 15701
For more information about making donations, contact the Foundation for IUP at 724-357-5661.
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