The Virginia Sheriffs’ Institute (VSI) recently announced the awarding of 78 scholarships totaling $77,000 to young people across Virginia pursuing a college degree in criminal justice while attending a Virginia college or university — two of whom are residents of Charlotte County.

Full-time students were provided $1,000, and part-time students were provided $500, according to a VSI press release.

Alivia J. Dunn, attending Radford University and Austin R. Hancock, attending Southside Virginia Community College were each awarded $1,000 from the institute.

“This year’s scholarship program was a tremendous success because of broad financial support from citizens across Virginia that joined the VSI as associate members,” Danville Sheriff Mike Mondul, who serves as president of VSI, said in the release.

The Virginia Sheriffs’ Institute is a 501c3 charitable organization established by Virginia sheriffs that also provides training and education to the members of the institute, including sheriffs and deputy sheriffs across Virginia, on issues relating to management, crime prevention and other areas of public safety, according to a press release.

Citizens are eligible to become members of the VSI upon invitation from their sheriff.

“The sheriffs and their citizen supporters around Virginia are the reason for the success of this program,” said John W. Jones, executive director of the Virginia Sheriffs’ Institute. “Currently, we have over 25,000 associate members of the VSI.”