SRO Klarkowski named Difference Maker

Wendy Klarkowski, Shadow Ridge High School, School Resource Officer (SRO) was honored with the Difference Maker Award at the Speak Up, Stand Up, Save a Life Conference hosted at Grand Canyon University on January 21st .  Officer Klarkowski was recognized for her invaluable impact on youth in the City of Surprise and surrounding communities.  

Klarkowski became the Shadow Ridge High School SRO in 2012. Since that time she has been impacting the lives of the youth in the City of Surprise and around the entire Valley. In 2018, Officer Klarkowski partnered with her fellow SRO’s to create a juvenile diversion program in the City of Surprise. This program is intended to keep low-level juvenile offenders out of the criminal justice system, but still hold them accountable for their offenses. In 2018, following the Speak Up, Stand Up, Save a Life Conference, Officer Klarkowski partnered with the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office to educate youth and parents around the Valley about the dangers associated with Vaping. Officer Klarkowski attended safety events throughout the Valley, including an Escape the Vape event at Valley Vista High School, putting her vaping device display out for all attendees to see and educating  them regarding the inherent risks and dangers of vaping. Since then, Officer Klarkowski has attended national and state conferences to educate her law enforcement partners about the dangers and trends associated with youth vaping.  

“We are deeply grateful to you, Officer Klarkowski, for all you are doing to Speak Up, Stand Up and Save Lives,” said a spokesperson from the event.

More than 3,500 Valley youth including students from Dysart, Shadow Ridge, Valley Vista and Willow Canyon high schools, came together for the fourth year in a row at the "Speak Up, Stand Up, Save a Life” event to empower youth.