The Larry Monroe Scholarship Award 2008

Matthew Kyle Jacocks

The Larry Monroe Scholarship Award is presented annually in Sun Valley in memory of former FBI Agent Lawrence J. Monroe, one of the founders of the FBI National Executive Institute. Larry played a crucial role in the initial program design, curriculum development and administration of many NEI programs during his long, distinguished career at the FBI Academy. His untimely death in 1999 led to the creation of this coveted scholarship.

Candidates for this award include all eligible NEI member's children and grandchildren who are enrolled in an accredited two-or-four year undergraduate program or who are pursuing a Masters or higher level degree. Selection for the award is based on monetary need, demonstrated work ethic, scholarship record and service orientation.

This year, we received four outstanding applications; and the scholarship committee has unanimously decided that the 2008 Larry Monroe Scholarship Award, in the amount of $10,000, should be granted to Matthew Kyle Jacocks, son of "Jake" and Linda Jacocks. "Jake," Chief of the Virginia Beach, Virginia, Police Department, is a graduate of the 24th session of the FBI NEI.

Kyle demonstrated exceptional self motivation and an outstanding work ethic by holding part time jobs through most of his high school years. He graduated 21st in a class of 452, with a GPA of 3.76. He was a member of Who's Who Among America High School Students in both his junior and senior years and received the Presidential Award for Educational Excellence his senior year.

Although Kyle was offered a scholarship from another university, he chose to attend Virginia Tech to pursue a Bachelor's degree in engineering. Following graduation, he continued at Tech, working toward a Master's degree in Construction Engineering and Management.

An excerpt of Kyle's letter of application for this scholarship follows:

"By growing up in a rural section of Virginia Beach, urbanization, excessive development and construction are topics that hit very close to home for me. Seeing the negative impacts of such and wanting to make a positive change led me to pursue a Bachelor's Degree in Civil and Environment Engineering at Virginia Tech, which I was awarded in May 2007. Although development is often necessary to accommodate population growth and ensure economic stability, there is a distinction between reckless growth and sustainable development. Thus, my original career aspiration was to be on the forefront of environmentally friendly Civil Engineering design. However, my focus has shifted to improving the construction process and the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industry as a whole. I am therefore pursuing a Master's degree in Construction Engineering and Management at Virginia Tech.

"As a member of the Order of the Engineer, I am fully aware of my ethical responsibility to humanity and the environment; and I have thus concentrated my studies on leadership, collaboration, safety, sustainability, and building information modeling and integration. My professional goals are to become a successful and innovative Project/Construction Manager.

"I am currently the President of the Construction Management Association of America (CMAA) Student Chapter at Virginia Tech, which is actively engaged in community outreach, philanthropy events, service projects, and leadership and professional development activities."

We believe that Larry Monroe would be proud to have Matthew Kyle Jacocks as recipient of the 2008 scholarship award, presented at the NEIA Annual Conference, Sun Valley, Idaho, June14,2008. Congratulations, Kyle!

Richard M. Ayres
Chair, Scholarship Committee