Memorial walk on April 9 allows C-SC students to honor first responders killed in line of duty

CANTON, Mo. — Criminal justice students at Culver-Stockton College are honoring fallen heroes for the fifth consecutive year with the Fallen Officer Project, culminating in a memorial walk held on April 9.

Senior lecturer Seth McBride created the “In the Line of Duty” course in 2017 to provide students with historical, emotional and interpersonal skills to better understand the commitment first responders make when taking a personal oath as a professional. The 12-week class investigates the psychological components of a first responder, focusing on law enforcement by reviewing case studies and officer-involved shootings.

The course’s objective is to recognize fallen heroes. Throughout the course, C-SC students represent a person who lost their life in the line of duty. The national organization Supporting Heroes, Inc., matches students with family members of fallen first responders to create relationships amid tragedy. Students represent their assigned hero during the class through written assignments, speeches social media responsibilities and the Fallen Officer walk. For the first time, this year’s event will pay tribute to firefighters killed on duty while also honoring law enforcement officers who died in line of duty.

“This is a life course,” McBride said in a press release. “We are asking college students to go out of their comfort zone to connect with someone who has lost a loved one.”

Jared Henderson, a senior at C-SC, is representing a fallen firefighter because he serves as a volunteer firefighter in his community. Henderson said he knows the project and walk are important to the families.

“The Fallen Officer Project lets them know that their family member hasn’t been forgotten,” he said. “It represents and honors them.”

The walk will be held on the Richeson Track at Ellison-Poulton Stadium from 8 to 10 a.m. The cost to participate is $25. Registration is open to the public. All proceeds go to Supporting Heroes and Whose House Our House Foundation, an organization committed to bridging the gap between law enforcement and inner-city youth.

Contact McBride at smcbride@culver.edu for more information.