Union Institute & University: Fallen Officer Memorial Award 2019 Recipient Selected
SACRAMENTO, Calif., July 22, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Officer Kyle Nathan Henricksen is the recipient of the 2019 Mark Dunakin Award for Extraordinary Achievement presented by Union Institute & University to a graduate of the Criminal Justice Management undergraduate program.
The Mark Dunakin Memorial Award honors the memory of Sergeant Dunakin, a UI&U student who tragically lost his life on March 21, 2009, at the age of 40, when he and three other Oakland police officers were killed in the line of duty. The award is presented to a new graduate of the UI&U Criminal Justice Management major who serves in law enforcement and who emulates Sergeant Dunakin's commitment to community service, academic success, and enthusiasm for Union's Criminal Justice Management major.
Officer Henricksen was chosen by the faculty as an example of someone who has displayed extraordinary achievement throughout his undergraduate program. He not only works hard and maintains high standards, but also is deeply committed to serving others in his community and beyond. He received the award at the California Commencement on July 21, 2019.
Officer Henricksen is a 10-year member of the Pleasanton Police Department (PPD) and a former deputy with Alameda County Sheriff's Office (ACSO). A respected law enforcement professional with nearly 14 years of experience, he currently serves as Secretary for the Pleasanton Police Officers Association (POA), where he is known for his uncanny understanding of the law, departmental rules, union contracts, and professional protocol. He is also infamous for being a quick-witted, unredeemable jokester.
As a young man, he completed the police academy at the age of 22, overcoming a broken foot during training to graduate on time with the rest of his class. Immediately upon graduation he started his law enforcement career with the ACSO where he was assigned to the Alameda County Jail.
In 2009, he transferred to Pleasanton Police Department where he has served on patrol and joined the motors unit. Mothers Against Drunk Drivers recognized Officer Henricksen for his dedication to reducing drunk driving incidences in 2014.
A consummate professional, Officer Henricksen is a dedicated father, husband, son, uncle, brother, and friend. He and his wife Jennifer serve as parents not only to their two biological children, but also to Jennifer's younger sister and Kyle's niece. Today the family is known as #Henricksen6 and can usually be found shuttling between the children's many sports activities and school events.
With the support of his wife and now four children, Officer Henricksen sought to fulfill a promise made to himself, his parents, and his wife by completing his undergraduate education. In 2018, while remaining a fulltime member of the PPD, he was admitted to Union Institute & University where he majored in Criminal Justice Management and graduated with a 4.0 GPA.
In addition to his excellence in academics, professional service, and family responsibilities, Officer Henricksen is currently fighting Stage IV Pancreatic cancer and undergoing experimental treatments. A true testament to his extraordinary character, Officer Henricksen maintained a fulltime academic load after diagnosis and remains an active father and Secretary to the Pleasanton POA. Every day Officer Henricksen demonstrates that he will not be defined or limited by his diagnosis.
Fellow officer Ryan Tujague wrote the following about him. "Kyle is an amazing person and his family have this bond that you truly rarely see. Kyle is also the secretary for our POA. He continues to hold this position while he is battling pancreatic cancer; traveling to Stanford, getting treatment, attending his kids' athletic events, and finishing his education. Kyle clearly has lot on his plate and he still answers his phone to answer POA questions from officers and other board members. He is well loved within our department."
Past recipients of the Union Institute & University Mark Dunakin Memorial Award for Extraordinary Achievement are:
- 2011 - Isabel Resendez
- 2013 - Frederick Henry Bobbitt Jr. and Tony Silva
- 2015 - Ray Framstad
- 2016 - Sergio Lepe
- 2017 –Orrlando Mayes
- 2018 - Heather Forsythe
To learn more about the Union Institute & University Criminal Justice Management program, visit the link below or call 800-861-6400.
About Union Institute & University
Union Institute & University is a non-profit, regionally accredited university specializing in providing quality higher education degrees for adults nationwide. Founded in 1964, Union's academic programs and services are the result of more than five decades of identifying and refining ways to structure and deliver education to meet the needs of adults. Distinguished as the pioneer in adult education, Union perfected the concepts now common in higher education such as the hybrid model, a blend of online and traditional classroom instruction, interdisciplinary studies, and student centered education with socially relevant and applicable learning outcomes in its undergraduate, master's and doctoral degree programs.
The university is guided by its core mission to educate highly motivated adults who seek academic programs to engage, enlighten, and empower them to pursue professional goals and a lifetime of learning, service, and social responsibility.
Union is a national university with academic centers located in: Ohio, Florida, and California.
For more information about Union Institute & University, visit www.myunion.edu or call 1- 800-861-6400.
SOURCE Union Institute & University
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