This is how Terry Dyer of Pottsboro describes the establishment of a scholarship to assist Pottsboro High School and Grayson County Community College students to study criminal justice at Sam Houston State University.
The Clay Dyer Criminal Justice Undergraduate Endowed Scholarship was created in honor of Dyer's son, a graduate of Pottsboro High School, Grayson County Community College, and Sam Houston State.
Clay Dyer received his bachelor of science degree with honors from SHSU in August 1994. He worked as a correctional officer in Nederland, then worked for the U. S. Customs Service in Houston, and was a member of the United States Army Reserve at the time of his death in August, 1995.
Funding for the scholarship comes from a life insurance policy, in which the College of Criminal Justice at Sam Houston State was named as a beneficiary.
In keeping with his interest in research on emotional intelligence, said his father, and in order to help other Pottsboro area students to receive training in criminal justice, $80,000 will be used by the university in its doctoral research program, and $12,000 designated for the scholarship endowment.
Clay Dyer was highly motivated in law enforcement, was disciplined, and was a devout Christian. His military interest came naturally--his father served in the U. S. Marine Corps in Vietnam and his grandfather was a 30-year Naval officer.
"He was a Christian soldier before he was anything," said Terry Dyer. "He's a spirit warrior right now.
"Clay dedicated his life to fighting for righteousness. We remember our son and his fight continues with faith and love of God and justice."
Under terms of the scholarship, Pottsboro High School and Grayson County Community College teachers and administrators will nominate candidates each spring for the scholarship. Selection of recipients will be made by the awards committee of the College of Criminal Justice at Sam Houston State.
One scholarship will be awarded each year, in an amount equal to the earnings from the endowment. A student may be a candidate for a continuing award if the student maintains a 3.0 grade point average.
If a qualified candidate cannot be found from either Pottsboro High School or Grayson County Community College, then the scholarship may be awarded to another applicant for scholarship assistance in criminal justice.
Terry Dyer said that his son's idealism and tenacious work ethic has been an example to his two brothers, Troy, 18, and Cliff, 16, and his older sister, Heather Colden, who lives in Dallas.
He said that he and his wife, Sandra, hope that it can also inspire others from their area and that other families can experience the satisfaction that theirs felt at Clay's college graduation ceremony.
"That was one of the happiest moments of our family's life," he said. "The smile that he had and the pride that he had was a huge peak for us."
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July 17, 1996