RIO GRANDE COUNTY – In a special meeting hosted by the Rio Grande County Board of Commissioners and the Rio Grande County Sheriff’s Department, Rio Grande County Sherrif Anne Robinson presented Cayden Larimore from Sargent School District with this year’s County Sheriffs of Colorado Scholarship.
Larimore has had an exceptional record in the Sargent School District. In the letter he submitted for the scholarship he states, “I started my freshman year in 2020, the same year that an aviation class was introduced into Sargent High School. I signed up for the class, thinking it would be interesting to learn about the world of flying, something that had never piqued my interest before.”
Through the aviation class taught by Jay Sarason, Larimore found his calling and dove into the world of aviation.
“I was fortunate enough to have an extremely ambitious teacher for this class, who inspired me more than I could have ever imagined. This teacher, Jay Sarason, spent just as much time with students outside of the classroom as inside. He took us on field trips, teaching us to fly for free, and helping in any way that he could. The first time that I went flying with Jay, I was instantly hooked,” he said.
Rio Grande County Sheriff Robinson opened the award ceremony with the scholarship program’s philosophy statement, “To carry out our commitment to the Honorary Members of the association, County Sheriffs of Colorado (CSOC) established a scholarship program in 1978. Since then, the program has continued as a meaningful expression of the sheriffs’ and CSOC's respect for education and training. We consider these scholarships as an investment in the future of Colorado's communities.”
Robinson continued highlighting Larimore’s plans stating that he wants to the attend the Airline Transportation Pilot Program and obtain his certificate to fly a commercial airline.
“Larimore has a laundry list of involvement and community oriented, and we appreciate his dedication,” Robinson said.
The judges that helped review the applications for the scholarship chose Larimore as a deserving applicant. Larimore accepted the scholarship in the presence of Rio Grande County Commissioners, his flight instructor Bill Shoen and his family.
Outside of scholarships, CSOC provides training and resources to peace officers throughout Colorado.
“Peace officers know the dangers of the job when choosing this career. The profession requires hard work and long hours, with risk of injury and death looming daily. Officers are at high risk for suicide, divorce, post-traumatic stress syndrome and substance use disorders because of repeated exposure to high-stress, life-threatening situations. These first responders do this important work anyway. They show up each day because the rewards of serving their communities cannot be measured.
“CSOC works to ensure these peace officers have the best professional training available, helping to reduce the dangers and mitigate the personal risks inherent in the profession as they serve their communities.”
