Palomar College student Alan Badel is one of two students nationwide selected to receive a $1,000 scholarship from Phi Theta Kappa and the International Public Safety Leadership and Ethics Institute (IPSLEI). The Richard L. Resurreccion Public Safety Scholarship program provides scholarships exclusively to Phi Theta Kappa members who demonstrate potential for excellence in the public safety field while enrolled in a regionally accredited associate degree public safety program.

Badel, who served for many years in the military as a Navy Hospital Corpsman with U.S. Army and Marine units, is currently taking criminal justice courses at Palomar and is also pursuing a bachelor’s in Homeland Security and Emergency Management at National University. His goal is to earn a master’s in Public Administration and someday work in the field of federal emergency management with the Department of Homeland Security.

When asked how his experience coming to college after being in the military has affected his outlook and career, Badel said, “The military taught me discipline and the value of hard work and education. If I went straight to college without the experience I had, I would have quit early and given up easily…I was fortunate to have tactical and operational leadership experience in Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief operations while I was in the military. Helping others and providing assistance in capacity building inspires me to continue with my education so I can help more people from a strategic level when I hopefully become a part of the Department of Homeland Security.”

An active member of Palomar’s Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) chapter, Badel also served on the Associated Student Government (ASG) as a senator. PTK adviser Katy Farrell credits him for establishing the Presidential Volunteer Service Award (PVSA) at Palomar. This involved introducing policies, standards and procedures to enable Palomar College ASG to become an Official Certifying Organization for the prestigious award. Only a few college organizations in California have that distinction. Seven Palomar students were named as  recipients of the PVSA last spring. “Not only is this a high honor in itself,” said Farrell, “it helps students with their scholarship and University applications.”

The Resurreccion Public Safety Scholarship was established by IPSLEI and Phi Theta Kappa in 2012 and named for Dr. Richard L. Resurreccion, Professor Emeritus of the College of Health and Human Services at California State University, Long Beach. Dr. Resurreccion is a member of the ISPSLEI Board of Directors and has 47 years of teaching experience in the first responder field at the secondary, two-year college, military and university levels.

IPSLEI brings the concepts of leadership and ethics to the forefront of an individual’s career, rather than waiting until a person is promoted into a supervisory position. This program is based on the belief one need not be a supervisor or manager to understand leadership principles and contribute to the leadership process.

Phi Theta Kappa is the premier honor society recognizing the academic achievement of students at associate-degree granting colleges and helping them to grow as scholars and leaders. The society is made up of more than 3.2 million members and nearly 1,400 chapters in nine nations.

# # #

Media contacts:
Melinda Finn, Public Affairs Office Communications Specialist, 760-744-1150 x2365
Laura Gropen, Public Affairs Office Director, 760-744-1150 x2152