(La Porte County, IN) - Three recent high school graduates from La Porte County have been awarded scholarships in honor of a police officer killed in the line of duty.

 

The scholarship winners are Faith Spain, Savannah Swanson and Michael Walker.

 

Spain is a La Porte High School graduate.

 

Swanson graduated from South Central High School.

 

Walker received his diploma from Michigan City High School.

 

Spain undecided on her major will attend Grace College and be a member of that school’s cross country and track and field teams.

 

Swanson plans to major in speech, language and hearing sciences at Purdue University while Walker intends to major in speech pathology and be a member of the baseball team at Indiana University in South Bend.

 

La Porte County Sheriff’s Deputy Neil Thompson was killed in 1980 while chasing a stolen ambulance.

 

After his death, a scholarship in his honor was established for the sons and daughters of Sheriff’s Office employees who go on to a university or college.