The endowed scholarship will support students studying criminal justice.
The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff is honoring an alumni and fallen police officer by creating a new scholarship in his name. The Kevin D. Collins Endowed Scholarship will provide financial support to encourage students to pursue a major in criminal justice or a related field. Detective Collins, a member of the Pine Bluff Police Department, was shot and killed in the line of duty Oct. 5, 2020.
“He gave his life for this city because he loved this city, and he loved serving this city and I miss him every day,” said Matt Mosler, pastor of New Life Church.
Mosler and Dornetta Hobbs, the mother of the late detective, led the effort to raise funds for the scholarship. Thanks to donations from church members and the Pine Bluff community, $50,000 has been raised and a check was presented to UAPB during a ceremony Tuesday.
George Cotton Sr., vice chancellor of institutional advancement and development at UAPB, said the endowed scholarship “will serve as a lasting testament to a life very well lived.”
“The university is both proud and humbled at the fact that the family and this community has entrusted the university to be the stewards of making sure that Detective Collins’ legacy definitely lives on,” Cotton said.
The $50,000 will be matched by a grant from the University of Arkansas Foundation that will increase the endowment to $100,000.
