University’s latest commitment to first responders provides scholarship support to Kentucky State Police employees and their immediate family members.
by Duane Bonifer
FRANKFORT, KY. (03/12/2026) Lindsey Wilson University and the Kentucky State Police announced an agreement on Wednesday, March 11, to expand educational opportunities for employees of the state agency.
The agreement, announced at the Kentucky State Police Academy, makes Kentucky State Police employees and their immediate family members eligible to receive the Kentucky State Police Scholarship in Lindsey Wilson’s Education Outreach programs.
The scholarship will be available to students in Lindsey Wilson bachelor’s programs in business administration, communication, criminal justice, human services and counseling, and nursing. It will also apply to the university’s graduate programs in business administration, counseling, cybersecurity management, data science and technology management, as well as the university’s doctoral program in counselor education and supervision.
The academic programs in LWU Educational Outreach are offered in traditional, online and hybrid formats. Part-time and full-time Kentucky State employees are eligible to receive the need-based scholarship.
Kentucky State Police Lt. Charles Hedgespeth ’10 said he sees “great things” emerging from the partnership.
“What I see is a great partnership for two different types of organizations that have a lot of really good people in them,” said Hedgespeth, who spoke at the event.
Hedgespeth said that his Lindsey Wilson education greatly shaped his career.
“The interactions I had and the relationships I built at Lindsey Wilson completely changed my career trajectory,” said Hedgespeth, a Green County native who is a fourth-generation police officer and a second-generation Kentucky State Police trooper. “For Kentucky State troopers and other staff to take the opportunity to impact their career trajectory, to further their education, is a great thing.”
Kentucky State Police Capt. Kyle Nall said at the announcement that the agreement between the two organizations is a “phenomenal opportunity” for “employees from all different positions in our agency” to pay it forward by earning a degree in counseling and then working with those who have faced similar trauma in their service.
Lindsey Wilson Assistant Vice President of Educational Outreach Tommie Ann Saragas ’03 said the Kentucky State Police Scholarship is part of the university’s longstanding commitment to work with first responders. Last year, Lindsey Wilson started the First Responder Scholarship. That scholarship applies to first responders — and their immediate family members — who serve or have served at least one year as a law enforcement officer, firefighter, emergency medical technician, paramedic and telecommunicator, commonly known as a dispatcher.
Kentucky State Employees and their immediate family members will be eligible to receive both scholarships in Lindsey Wilson’s Educational Outreach programs.
“This partnership between Lindsey Wilson University and the Kentucky State Police represents a meaningful investment in both education and public service,” said Saragas. “By expanding access to scholarships for KSP employees and their families while also creating internship and career pathways for our students and alumni, we are strengthening the connection between higher education and those who serve our communities.”
Lindsey Wilson counseling professor Hannah Coyt ’98, who has worked extensively with first responders, said the new Lindsey Wilson scholarship is but a small way the university can show its appreciation to first responders who serve the commonwealth. Her, husband, Brian, has served in law enforcement for two decades, including as a KSP trooper.
“This agreement reflects our enduring commitment at LWU to those who protect and serve our communities,” said Coyt, who is also assistant director of Lindsey Wilson’s nationally accredited counseling graduate program. “As the spouse of a former KSP trooper, I understand the sacrifice and resilience our officers demonstrate daily. This partnership not only supports their educational goals, but it also fosters well-being and continued professional growth. We hope this initiative contributes to giving officers and personnel at KSP continued purpose by the opportunity to continue their education and new chapters in life.”
Representatives from Kentucky State Police and Lindsey Wilson University gather on Wednesday, March 11, at the Kentucky State Police Academy in Frankfort to announce the Lindsey Wilson Kentucky State Police Scholarship. Seated: Lindsey Wilson Assistant Director of the Counseling Graduate Program Hannah Coyt ’98 and Kentucky State Police Lt. Col. Jeremy Hamm. Standing, from left: Lindsey Wilson Regional Enrollment Director for Educational Outreach Mamadou Fall ’08, Kentucky State Police Lt. Charles Hedgespeth ’10, Lindsey Wilson criminal justice professor Mary Schwendau, Lindsey Wilson Assistant Vice President of Educational Outreach Tommie Ann Saragas ’03, Kentucky State Police Capt. Kyle Nall and Kentucky State Police Sgt. Matt Sudduth.
Kentucky State Police Lt. Charles Hedgespeth ’10 speaks at the ceremony announcing the Lindsey Wilson University Kentucky State Police Scholarship on Wednesday, March 11, at the Kentucky State Police Academy in Frankfort.
Lindsey Wilson University is a vibrant liberal arts university in Columbia, Kentucky. Founded in 1903 and affiliated with The United Methodist Church, the mission of Lindsey Wilson is to serve the educational needs of students by providing a living-learning environment within an atmosphere of active caring and Christian concern where every student, every day, learns and grows and feels like a real human being. Lindsey Wilson offers 28 undergraduate majors, five graduate programs and a doctoral program. The university’s 29 intercollegiate varsity athletic teams have won more than 120 team and individual national championships.
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(Duane Bonifer – Lindsey Wilson University)