Broken Arrow widow receives a special scholarship

A Broken Arrow widow whose husband was killed in the line of duty can now pursue her dream of a college education. <br/><br/>Jennifer Blackfox is the first person in the country to receive the Steve Young

Wednesday, May 5th 2004, 10:52 am

By: News On 6

A Broken Arrow widow whose husband was killed in the line of duty can now pursue her dream of a college education.

Jennifer Blackfox is the first person in the country to receive the Steve Young Memorial Scholarship. It's a $2-million federal grant created to assist spouses of fallen police officers.

Wednesday, she spoke exclusively with News on 6 reporter Patrina Adger.

"He was a fun and outgoing kind of guy." Jennifer Blackfox was married to her husband Shelby for only a year and a half before he died in the line of duty. "At his funeral he had people from every walk of like honor him even people he arrested came and said, 'He set me on a straight path and I appreciate what he done for me.'"

Shelby was a National Guardsman for 13 years before he joined the Cherokee Nation Marshal Service in 2000, where he worked for the drug task force. The following year, the 30 year old was killed in a motorcycle accident while on his way to meet an informant on a drug interdiction case.

"The biggest challenge has been emotionally just trying to carry on with things." Jennifer says she's able to carry on because of her 4 year old son Trenton. Financially, she's received some help, but she says it's been difficult to focus on her dream of an education.

Through a grant from the Department of Labor, the Fraternal Order of Police presented Jennifer with a $15,000 scholarship from the Steve Young Memorial Scholarship, a grant started by the FOP which offers financial assistance to spouses of fallen police officers. Kevin Rhoads with the Fraternal Order of Police: "It lightens the burden on them when we're able to give them a career opportunity and that what the grant's for."

Now Jennifer can afford to pursue a physician associate's degree and hopes to go into the medical field. It's a dream she says is a reality now, a dream Shelby would be proud of. "I feel like we're coming through it and we're gonna be fine."

Jennifer Blackfox will be in Oklahoma City this Friday to attend a memorial service honoring fallen police officers. There will be a similar memorial service in Tulsa this Saturday at 10 AM.