Liz Karnes Memorial Scholarships

Congratulations!

Susie Dugan Scholarship Fund For Drug-Free Youth

Recipients Announced

PRIDE-Omaha, Inc. is proud to announce the two recipients of the first annual Susie Dugan Scholarship Fund For Drug-Free Youth. In 2006, on the occasion of Susie's retirement as executive director of PRIDE-Omaha, Inc., the organization established a college scholarship fund for drug-free youth in her name. These scholarships are awarded to seniors who have led a drug-free life and have taken a leadership role in fighting drug abuse.

Molly Beth Hedberg of Elkhorn High School and Julie Irene Wawers of Skutt Catholic High School have each been selected to receive a $500 scholarship award.

Molly Beth Hedberg ~ Elkhorn High School

Julie Irene Wawers ~ Skutt Catholic High School

Both seniors live, model, and promote a drug-free lifestyle by volunteering within their community and schools. They demonstrate a proactive approach to advocating a drug-free message. The three scholarship recipients were chosen from a field of over 71 applicants from Cass, Dodge, Douglas, Sarpy, and Washington Counties in Nebraska.

PRIDE-Omaha, Inc. congratulates all of the applicants on their commitment to a drug-free lifestyle and encourage all youth to make the choice to be drug free.

Susie Dugan is a respected leader in drug prevention on the national, state, and local levels. Keeping children safe, healthy, and drug-free has been a goal of Susie's since she first became a mom 42 years ago. Her passion for her own children’s well-being steered her into the drug prevention field over 28 years ago. She had seen that the use of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs was ruining children’s lives and tearing families apart. She was scared to death for her own children. She stays committed to drug prevention because her four children have given her 16 beautiful grandchildren. She loves each one of them fiercely, and doesn't want any one of them to fall victim to the drug culture that permeates their environment. She has fought for drug-free children alongside many moms, dads, law enforcement personnel, school staff, community leaders, and others. Some of her greatest help came from drug-free youth who were brave enough to stand up to the social norms around them and work toward a drug-free world for themselves and their friends.