Sheriff Eslinger honored by Seminole State

The Seminole State College Alumni Association named Sheriff Donald F. Eslinger as its 2016 Distinguished Alumni Award recipient. Eslinger was recognized during the Association's Inaugural Legacy Awards on May 12 at the College’s Heathrow Campus.
Eslinger, a 1979 graduate of the College’s Law Enforcement Academy, has served the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office for 37 years and as Sheriff since 1991. From Seminole State College, Eslinger continued his education by earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Applied Behavioral Sciences from National Louis University. He also is a graduate of the Federal Bureau of Investigation National Academy in Quantico, Virginia.
During his career, Eslinger has championed community policing, advocated for mental health and youth programs and was integral in founding Kids House of Seminole.
“Sheriff Eslinger exemplifies the spirit of the Distinguished Alumni Award,” said John Gyllin, executive director of the Foundation for Seminole State College. “He has dedicated his life to excellence in his career and serving the people of Seminole County.”
The Association also presented its first Outstanding Graduate Award during the event. This year’s honoree is Rosmery Nerey-Rodriguez, who graduated earlier this month with an Associate of Arts in Biology. Nerey-Rodriguez is the first generation of her family to graduate from college.
During her time at Seminole State College, Nerey-Rodriguez was president of the Student Government Association at the Sanford/Lake Mary campus, a peer mentor and a member of Seminole State Volunteers, the Grindle Honors Institute and Phi Beta Kappa. She recently was named a 2016 Newman Civic Fellow, which honors inspiring college student leaders who have demonstrated an investment in finding solutions for challenges facing communities throughout the country. She also was a semifinalist for the national Jack Kent Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship.
The newly created Legacy Awards recognize a distinguished alumnus or alumna who has made outstanding contributions to his or her profession and community, as well as a recent graduate of the College who serves as a role model for current and future Seminole State students. The Alumni Association plans to add more recognition awards as the Association and event grow.
 

- Special to the Herald