School awards scholarships in honor of fallen DPD officer

FORT WORTH - One of the Dallas police officers killed in the ambush attack in downtown is being honored by his high school.

The ceremony to keep Patrick Zamarripa's memory alive will also give some Fort Worth students a jumpstart on their futures.

The R.L. Paschal High School Alumni Association awarded 12 senior students $1,000 scholarships to carry on Zamarripa’s legacy. The students with a variety of interests will pursue careers ranging from nursing to music and business.

The alumni association began receiving unsolicited donations following the July 2016 ambush murders of five Dallas officers, including Zamarripa.

His family attended the ceremony Wednesday and was very proud to see Zamarripa’s legacy live on through the educational endeavors of youngsters.

"When he was little, he wanted to be a police officer because there was a Fort Worth police officer living next door,” Enrique Zamarripa recalled. “I said, ‘Patrick, if you keep doing the right thing, study hard and be determined to keep pushing for what you want to get done, you’ll make it.’”

"We had the students send in applications with an essay on how they could make an impact on their community or their country in the future,” said alumni Jan Hull. And reading those was amazing."

The student recipients of the Patrick Zamarripa scholarships were reminded that they are representing the positive values and morals that he stood for.

Zamarripa’s family did have a chance to address the students and their parents. They expressed gratitude and wished each student the very best with their unique endeavors.