Blackwell Scholarship Supports Indiana Law Students

The annual award honors a victim of the 2021 Indianapolis FedEx facility shooting.

Updated on Oct. 30, 2026 in Scholarships

Bold flat-color editorial illustration of a solitary lighthouse silhouette, evoking a sense of guidance and remembrance. — The Samaria Blackwell Memorial Scholarship continues to support Indiana law enforcement students, honoring the memory of the 2021 FedEx facility shooting victim. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

The Samaria Blackwell Memorial Scholarship assists Indiana students pursuing law enforcement careers. Now in its sixth year, the program honors a victim of the April 2021 shooting at a FedEx facility in Indianapolis.

Why it matters

The Blackwell family established the fund through the Central Indiana Police Foundation to support students with a heart for service. For the parents, selecting recipients serves as a therapeutic way to honor their daughter's memory.

The scholarship program has awarded 12 to 13 students since its inception. Typically, the fund provides awards to 2 students annually.

The players

Jeff and Tammy Blackwell

They are the parents of Samaria Blackwell and serve as the final decision-makers for scholarship award selection.

Central Indiana Police Foundation

This organization partnered with the Blackwell family to create and administer the memorial scholarship program.

The details

Jeff and Tammy Blackwell personally review every application to choose the scholarship winners for the program. The initiative was developed after the Central Indiana Police Foundation reached out to the family following the tragedy.

Samaria Blackwell was killed in a shooting in April 2021.
The scholarship program is currently in its sixth year as of 2026.

Culture Shift

This scholarship follows a pattern set by the April 2021 Indianapolis FedEx facility shooting in which survivors create lasting educational legacies to honor victims. It reflects a growing trend of families using memorial foundations to directly influence the future of public safety staffing.

Eligible Indiana students interested in law enforcement careers can apply to the memorial fund for financial assistance. The scholarship requires an application process overseen by the Blackwell family to identify candidates dedicated to service.

The takeaway

Turning personal loss into a platform for community support offers a pathway for both the donor and the recipient to find meaning. Interested students should monitor the foundation for annual application cycles to pursue their law enforcement ambitions.