A Leader in the Making

Pasadena High School student, Robert Jaramillo III, has been selected to receive the 2014 Bernard Melekian Outstanding Youth Award at this year’s annual Pasadena Police Foundation breakfast. The event kicks off at 7:30 a.m. on Thursday, October 9th at Brookside Clubhouse, 1133 Rosemont Avenue in Pasadena. The $1,000 award to be received by Robert is named after former Pasadena Police Chief, Bernard Melekian and is given to a Pasadena area high school student who has made a significant contribution to this community.

From grade school through high school, Robert has excelled academically. In his freshman year, he enrolled in the Naval Junior ROTC program and in May of 2014 was promoted to Commanding Officer. He is noted for his positive attitude and his unselfish willingness to assist fellow high school students. He also believes in leading by example and has proven an excellent model to his eight siblings. He is very active in assisting the youth pastor at Hope Unlimited Church in Monrovia and recently enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corp to become an Intelligence Specialist. After completing four years of service, he will have earned his bachelor’s degree in History and hopes for a future career with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Among the criteria used by the Pasadena Police Foundation in selecting the Melekian Award winner are whether the youth has:

• been a major influence in his or her peer group in showing respect for the law;
• performed an important community service;
• overcome adversity and positively turned his or her life around;
• volunteered with law enforcement or has aspirations of a career in law enforcement.

Robert Jaramillo III certainly meets all the criteria.

For more information about the Pasadena Police Foundation, visit www.pasadenapolicefoundation.org or like their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/pages/Pasadena-Police-Foundation/.