Officer Natalie Corona Odd Fellows Memorial Scholarship
What is the Officer Natalie Corona Odd Fellows Memorial Scholarship?
In February 2019, the Davis Odd Fellows announced the Officer Natalie Corona Odd Fellows Memorial Scholarship. The Odd Fellows created the scholarship after the tragic death of Davis Police Officer Natalie Corona on January 10, 2019. Corona was 22 years old. Officer Corona is remembered for her dedication to law enforcement, her service to her community, her hard work, and her spirit of cooperation inspiring her colleagues and the community.
The goal of the scholarship program is to provide assistance to high school students in Davis, CA and Arbuckle, CA who are pursuing a career in law enforcement, criminal justice, or as a first responder and to honor Corona’s ideals of excellence and service.
An endowment fund has been created to fund the scholarship annually. The Odd Fellows’ goal is make the endowment fund self-sustaining to enable the scholarship program to continue in perpetuity. Davis Odd Fellows Helping Hands, Inc., a 501(c)(3) corporation, will accept donations and manages the endowment fund.
Donate to the Officer Natalie Corona Odd Fellows Memorial Scholarship Fund
Davis Odd Fellows Helping Hands, Inc., a 501(c)(3) corporation, will accept donations and manage the endowment fund. Donations can be made online. Contributions may be tax-deductible.
Who was Natalie Corona?
Natalie Corona was born and raised in Arbuckle, California, a small town forty miles north of Davis. She attended Pierce High School and graduated in 2014. The Sacramento Bee shared that Corona won homecoming queen, played volleyball and basketball, and enjoyed boxing. She went on to Yuba College, where she earned an associate degree in Administration of Justice.
Corona’s mother, Lupe, is an elementary school teacher. Her father, Merced, served in the Colusa County Sheriff’s Office for 26 years. She had three younger sisters: Jackie, Cathy and Cindy.
Natalie entered the Sacramento Police Academy after earning her associate degree. At the same time, she began working with the Davis Police Department as a part-time Community Services Officer. She continued that work as a volunteer when the department ran out of funding for the position. She reportedly worked as a waitress in order to afford to continue volunteering. Corona graduated from the academy in June 2018.
On August 2, 2018, Corona earned her badge. When she was sworn in at the Davis Police Department, her father, Merced, pinned her badge.
Officer Corona was clearly loved and appreciated by her fellow officers. Public Information Officer Lt. Doroshov described her as an “outstanding, positive person.” He said that the department is small and tight-knit, and that Corona’s death was “a real loss to the
community.”
In a news release, Police Chief Darren Pytel said, “Officer Corona had an incredible work ethic, was well liked by her colleagues, and was an asset to the Davis Police Department. Her death is a devastating loss for all of us.” He also told the Modesto Bee, “I haven’t seen anybody work harder in a part-time capacity and be more motivated to be a police officer than Natalie. She was just an absolute star in the department and someone that pretty much every department member looked to as a close friend, a sister.”
As the daughter of a police officer, Natalie had a deep appreciation for law enforcement and for those who laid down their lives to serve their communities. In October 2016, Corona shared a photo of herself holding an American flag that had one blue stripe. She wrote in the caption: “I would like this photograph to serve as my gratitude for all those law enforcement men and women who have served, who are currently serving, and those who have died in the line of duty protecting our liberties in this great country.
Music for Natalie 2023 on April 1, 2023
On February 24, 2019 – 224 – the Davis Odd Fellows hosted the first Music for Natalie, a free community event, in memory of Natalie Corona. It was an afternoon for people to share some time together and listen to music together. Officer Corona’s badge number was 224. The show started at 2:24pm with music provided by three area bands.
At the gathering, the Odd Fellows introduced their new Officer Natalie Corona Odd Fellows Memorial Scholarship program. Since 2019, the Davis Odd Fellows have made Music for Natalie an annual event.
The 2023 Music for Natalie will be held on Saturday April 1, 2023 from noon to 5pm in the parking area behind the Davis Odd Fellows Lodge and Lyon Real Estate at 415 and 401 Second Street. It is a free community event. Once again there will be live music on an
outdoor stage with three bands led by Misner and Smith, 5 Star Alcatraz, and the Natalie Cortez Band. There will be food and beverage vendors and a beer garden.
Want to be a Community Sponsor for Music for Natalie 2023? Donations will be accepted and sponsors will be recognized at the event and on this website. Donations will help continue to fund the Officer Natalie Corona Odd Fellows Memorial Scholarship program.
Sponsor levels are Super Platinum Badge ($2,000 or more), Double Platinum Badge ($1,000 – $1,999), Platinum Badge ($500 – $999), Gold Badge ($250 – $499), and Silver Badge ($100 – $249). For more information, contact Jim Bledsoe at jim@sunpoint.us
Sponsors – Music for Natalie 2023
Super Platinum Badge ($2,000 or more)
- Lyon Real Estate
- David Cougevan of Edward Jones
Double Platinum Badge ($1,000 – 1,999)
- Lauren and Chris Snow
- Marlene and Earl Stout
Platinum Badge ($500 – 999)
- Yolo County Deputy District Attorneys Association
Gold Badge ($250 – 499)
- Michelle and Douglas Buzbee
Silver Badge ($100 – 249)
- Patricia Fong
- Pamela and Sven Holm
- Roy Kaplan
- Terry and Pearl Toy
Thank You for Your Donations
Since 2019, the Davis Odd Fellows Lodge raised over $90,000 for the scholarship fund. Our goal is to establish an endowment fund over $100,000. The Odd Fellows have awarded 16 scholarships of $1,000 to $1,500 to high school seniors form Davis and Arbuckle since June 2019.
Special thanks are extended to Colin Schmitt and Morgan Clark. In 2019, Davis resident Colin Schmitt pledged to run 224 miles leading up to February 24, 2019, and donate all contributions to the Officer Natalie Corona Odd Fellows Memorial Scholarship program. “224”
was Natalie Corona’s badge number. Donations to Schmitt exceeded $8,000.
Also in 2019, Morgan Clark, an eighth grade student in Roseville, donated $500 to the scholarship fund. For over five months, he made and sold police paracord bracelets for $5 each as a community service project. He received orders from all over the country. He sold 100
bracelets and raised $500. Morgan donated his sales proceeds to the Officer Natalie Corona Odd Fellows Memorial Scholarship Program.
The Odd Fellows are humbled by the gestures of Colin Schmitt and Morgan Clark and the generosity of the community members who have donated to the scholarship program since 2019. Your donations are greatly appreciated.
Scholarship Recipients
In June 2019, the Davis Odd Fellows awarded the first Officer Natalie Corona Odd Fellows Memorial Scholarships. Three $1,000 scholarship were awarded after applications were received from seniors at Davis Senior High School and Pierce High School in Arbuckle.
2023 Officer Natalie Corona Davis Odd Fellows Memorial Scholarship Recipients
- Cynthia Corona – Pierce High School
- Dante Muzzi – Pierce High School
- Milena Kahan – Davis Senior High School
- Mayah Moore – Davis Senior High School
- Mohamed Al-Ghlai – Davis Senior High School
- Ahna Meyer Davis School for Independent Study
2022 Officer Natalie Corona Davis Odd Fellows Memorial Scholarship Recipients
- John Haertle – Davis Senior High School
- Sophia La Perle – Davis Senior High School
- Guadalupe Mora-Lopez – Davis Senior High School
- Eliana Oppenheim – Davis Senior High School
- Byron T. Moore – DVCS
- Belsazar Haro – Pierce High School
- Roberto Martinez Garcia – Pierce High School
2021 Officer Natalie Corona Davis Odd Fellows Memorial Scholarship Recipients
- Nicole Holt – Davis Senior High School
- Shea Sorrentino – Davis Senior High School
2020 Officer Natalie Corona Davis Odd Fellows Memorial Scholarship Recipients
- Lilah Rose Kalish – Da Vinci High School
- Allison Lelchuk – Davis Senior High School
- Joey Voss – Davis Senior High School
- Adriana Maya – Pierce Hight School
2019 Officer Natalie Corona Davis Odd Fellows Memorial Scholarship Recipients
- Ivette Quezada – Pierce High School
- Kleo Redd – Davis High School
- Zane Schouten – Davis High School
Nicole Holt
Shea Sorrentino
We’re Not Done Yet! Will You Help?
The Davis Odd Fellows are pleased with the response to our scholarship program and pleased that we continue to award scholarships annually. However, we are not done! With your help, the scholarship program will grow and make a difference.
An endowment fund has been created to fund the scholarship annually. The Davis Odd Fellows’ goal is make the endowment fund self-sustaining to enable the scholarship program to continue in perpetuity.
Davis Odd Fellows Helping Hands, Inc., a 501(c)(3) corporation, will accept donations and manage the endowment fund. Donations can be made online at https://www.davislodge.org. Contributions may be tax-deductible.
Donate to the Officer Natalie Corona Odd Fellows Memorial Scholarship Fund
Davis Odd Fellows Helping Hands, Inc., a 501(c)(3) corporation, will accept donations and manage the endowment fund. Donations can be made online. Contributions may be tax-deductible.
Want to Apply for the Officer Natalie Corona Odd Fellows Memorial Scholarship?
How do I qualify for the scholarship? To qualify, you must be a high school senior attending school in either Arbuckle or Davis with plans to attend a two- or four-year college and will major in Criminal Justice such as a police officer, district attorney, public defender or related field, or First Responders such as a nurse, firefighter, paramedic, EMT or related field.
How can I apply? Use the form below to submit your application.
When is the final date to apply? DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION IS APRIL 7, 2023
Online Application – Please complete the information, essays, and references below and press Submit:
For more information, contact Jim Bledsoe at jim@sunpoint.us