Memory of Army soldier motivates students who want to serve others
Olivas Valor Award provides support to Criminal Justice majors and honors fallen corporal
There are few stories as inspirational as those of individuals who have sacrificed their lives for their country. Recipients of the Corporal Olivas Valor Award scholarship say inspiration is the word that comes to mind when they learn about the life of Army Cpl. Nicholas Olivas, who was killed in Afghanistan in 2012 at the age of 20.
During a class about juvenile law, fourth-year Criminal Justice student Brady Hershberger remembers hearing Cpl. Olivas’s father, Adolfo Olivas, also his instructor for the class, talk about his son.
“I was inspired to apply for the scholarship by hearing Nicholas’s story,” said Hershberger, a member of the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) who will be a commissioned officer in the U.S. Marines after graduation in May. “Cpl. Olivas’s commitment to our country and his family reveal that he lived to be a man for others, and sets an example I can only hope to follow.”
Cpl. Olivas left behind a wife and young son after he was killed in a roadside bomb attack.
“He gave the ultimate sacrifice for his country. Those are the kind of values that inspired me to join the Marine Corps.”
The Corporal Olivas Valor Award was started in 2014 and provides $500 to $1,000 to students studying in the Department of Criminal Justice and Community Studies at Miami University Regionals. A preference is given to students who are veterans or are actively serving in the U.S. military. Roughly a dozen students have received the scholarship since its inception.
For Hershberger, the values and code of honor associated with the U.S. Marine Corps have appealed to him since childhood, and helped him feel a connection to Cpl. Olivas.
“My uncle was a Marine,” he said. “He challenges himself to be an exemplary man, not only in his career, but in how he acts as a father and husband. Cpl. Olivas made a heroic sacrifice for his country. I want to strive to be as selfless as he was for those he loved.”
Justice and helping others are motivational goals for award recipient
For Mia Diaz, a second-year Criminal Justice student from Peru, the life of Cpl. Olivas is an example of giving your life purpose by serving others. As a recent winner of the scholarship, she hopes to eventually study law and help others who face challenges within the justice system.
“I want to stay in the U.S. and use my Criminal Justice degree to help people navigate legal processes, especially those facing systemic barriers,” she said. “Serving as the president of the Miami Chapter of the Ohio Innocence Project helped me find my passion for advocacy, wrongful convictions, and access to justice.”
Diaz said winning the Olivas Valor Award is a sign that she is pursuing a career that could make a difference.
“To have won the Olivas Valor Award was a true privilege and validation that the efforts that I most care about are seen and valued by others,” she said. “This validated to me that advocacy for fairness and justice is not only worth it but, in fact, means something to other individuals.”
Adolfo Olivas, an attorney and instructor in the Department of Criminal Justice and Community Studies at Miami University Regionals, said his son would be proud to know his sacrifice has given others inspiration to pursue their dreams.
“(Nicholas) was a quiet, humble person who wanted to do some good in the world,” he said. “He was glad he was in Afghanistan because he believed he was doing something good for his country. He would be happy to know that his memory is making a difference in the lives of those who want to serve others now.”
The Olivas Valor Award is one of many scholarship opportunities available to students at Miami University Regionals. The university prioritizes affordability to make higher education accessible and meaningful for a wide range of students.
