A quick look at what one Police Benevolent Foundation Scholarship Recipient is up to now
Delia D'Ambra - North Carolina Division scholarship recipient
Mar 31, 2016
In 2011, Delia D’Ambra received the Police Benevolent Foundation Scholarship. We decided to catch up with her and see how the scholarship helped in her academic pursuits and what she’s up to these days.
As the proud daughter of a police officer, Delia knows just how supportive the law enforcement community is. Delia said, “I feel honored to be a daughter of a police officer. My father served in law enforcement for 30 years both in administration and as a patrolman. He worked long hours, over time and was in dangerous situations undercover before I was born. I know the stress that comes with living in a law enforcement household where every day you’re worried if they’ll come home. There is a lot of politics in administration too in police departments. I learned from him the ability to work with people you may not like, but you must accomplish a task together for the sake of the greater good. My experience growing up helps me daily when working crime scenes, fires, emergency service scenes where there is very sensitive stuff happening and I have to boil it down for news viewers. I picture people’s families, both victims and officers, in my mind because I know that event impacts more than just who is on scene.”
“Receiving the PBF scholarship in college was definitely more than just money for me. It showed me the true respect and admiration that law enforcement professionals have for their colleagues and families of officers throughout the years. To me it meant my father’s ‘brothers in blue’ respected his sacrifice enough and related to his families needs enough to provide for me, someone they didn’t even know in person. For me, it was a
blessing and one earned by my father’s work,” Delia said.
The PBF scholarship also helped Delia pay for necessary books and supplies she needed in college. “It gave me the breathing room during semesters to not have to loan any more money. That relief allowed me to perform better in my classes. It was also an inspiration as a broadcast journalist to remember the people who bring you up along the way and make sure you tell their story. The scholarship gave me an appreciation for the kindness of strangers that I now use daily in my job,” Delia said.
Delia is currently a news reporter for NBC29 WVIR news in Charlottesville, Virginia. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Broadcast Journalism and Mass Communication from UNC Chapel Hill in May 2014. She also minored in creative writing. She is also a novelist working on her first book, set to be released this year.
North Carolina Division
