ISSDA Evelyn Covington Scholarship

Fifteen (15), $1,000.00 scholarships, awarded $500.00 each semester for the first year, will be awarded to fifteen (15) Senior high school children of current (2026) ISSDA members, who will be graduating high school in the spring of 2026. To be eligible for a scholarship, the applicant must be a natural or adopted child or grandchild of a current member; or a stepchild, whose biological parent has primary care and is married to the member, and whose primary residence for the past four years has been with the member. The school will receive the check the first part of Sept 2026 and Feb 2027.

The ISSDA Evelyn Covington Scholarship is named after Sergeant Evelyn Covington of the Linn County Sheriff’s Office. She was employed with the Sheriff’s Office for 23 years. At the time of her retirement, Evelyn was a sergeant in the Civil Division and was very knowledgeable of civil procedure, having taught many classes on the subject.

Evelyn was initially hired as a clerk with the Sheriff’s Office in February of 1968. In January of 1970, she was appointed a deputy sheriff – bookkeeper in the Civil Division. She was the recipient of the Greater Cedar Rapids Sertoma Club, Law Officer of the Year award in 1974. In July of 1975, Evelyn was promoted to Civil Sergeant.

Evelyn served on the ISSDA board for many years and was the first woman elected as president. She served in that capacity in 1989, during which the association thrived under her leadership. Evelyn was always cheerful and kept the "boys", as she called them, on track and on top of their game.

In the early morning hours of January 17, 1991, Evelyn was on-duty and traveling with a friend to an ISSDA board meeting in Des Moines. Along the way, her vehicle struck a patch of ice and her car spun out into the center median. While waiting for a tow truck to pull her vehicle out, a semi-tractor trailer lost control in the same location and drove into the median, striking Sgt. Covington’s vehicle. The ensuing collision resulted in Evelyn sustaining serious and debilitating injuries and her passenger, LaVonne Frank, being fatally injured. Evelyn’s extensive injuries necessitated her early retirement in August of 1991. She continues to reside in her northwest Cedar Rapids home and still has occasional contact with the Sheriff’s Office staff.

In acknowledgement of Sgt. Covington’s dedicated and loyal service to the ISSDA, the Iowa State Sheriffs' and Deputies' Association Board of Directors voted to name their scholarship program in her honor. The Evelyn Covington Scholarship Award provides up to ten $1,000 scholarships annually to senior high school children of current ISSDA members. Applications are made to the Scholarship Committee in March of each year. The winners are awarded $500 installments in September and February of their first year of college. Successful applicants must submit an application, an essay of at least 200 words stating any outstanding achievements, extracurricular activities, work experience, etc. that might be helpful to the committee in judging the application, references from three teachers (past or present), and a graduation photograph. The Scholarship Committee is comprised of ISSDA members who review the applications and make the final determination on scholarship winners at Civil School.