WELL ON HIS WAY—Explorer of the Year Kenny Brzezinski, right, gets some help with his new badge from his fiancee, Emily Piper, on Sept. 16 at the 13th annual Police/Community Partnership Awards Luncheon at the Reagan Library. In addition to being named Explorer of the Year, Brzezinski was promoted to Explorer captain and thus received a new badge. When Kenny Brzezinski was called to the stage during the 13th annual Police/Community Partnership Awards Luncheon to accept his award for Explorer of the Year, he had no idea what was in store for him.

Standing in the middle of the packed banquet room at the Reagan Library on Sept. 16, Brzezinski was all smiles as he took his award in one hand and shook Simi Police Capt. Ron Chambers’ hand with the other. Sitting at one of the tables were his parents—who emigrated from Communist Poland to the U.S. in the 1980s—as well as his brideto-be, all three beaming with pride.

The 20-year-old honoree was just about to exit the stage when Chambers said the police chief had an announcement to make.

“It’s my pleasure to be able to announce publicly, Kenny is being promoted to the rank of captain and will be running the (Explorer) post,” Police Chief Mike Lewis said.

The promotion came as a shock to the room, but even more so to Brzezinski.

“I was really surprised,” said Brzezinski, who formerly held the rank of sergeant. “I was very overjoyed.”

Born and raised in Simi Valley, Brzezinski graduated from Santa Susana High School in 2007 and is now a senior at California Lutheran University. For the first few months of college, he majored in physics, thinking that he would pursue a career in mechanical or aeronautical engineering.

But after going on a ride-along with the Simi Police Department, which his brotherinlaw, a detective in Mesa, Ariz., had suggested, Brzezinski was hooked on law enforcement.

Motivated by his newfound passion, he switched his major to criminal justice—with a minor in communications—got a job as a security officer at the Simi Valley Town Center and, in February of last year, joined the Simi Police Department’s Explorer post.

Established in the 1970s, the post offers individuals 14 to 20 years of age the opportunity to learn about law enforcement through “on-the-job” training.

Explorers complete a modified police academy, participate in ridealongs with patrol officers, attend weekly meetings, work details in areas such as traffic and crowd control, and compete in statewide competitions.

“The whole program prepares you for going into an academy,” said Brzezinski, whose goal is to work as an officer in the town where he grew up.

In the past year and a half, he has logged 360 hours of community service with the department and more than 200 hours of ridealongs—the latter being one of his favorite things to do.

Post adviser Sgt. Dwight Thompson described Brzezinski as personable yet persuasive, a standup citizen and a natural leader.

It was for these reasons that Brzezinski’s peers and the post advisers voted him Explorer of the Year, and it is also why he was promoted to captain, Thompson said.

Brzezinski’s fiancee and high school sweetheart, Emily Piper, said that though her future husband didn’t always know he wanted to be a cop, he always had a desire to help others. And while she knows the dangers associated with his dream career, she said she would never stand in the way.

“Of course it makes me nervous (that he is) going into a field that’s dangerous, but I’m not going to stop him from what he wants to do,” the 21-year-old said.

“He is really caring, and he just wants to make things right for people. He doesn’t want to be in the police for the power of it or anything; he just wants to make it a better community.”

Thompson said it is “refreshing” that Brzezinski’s goal is to give back to the community that raised him, adding that he would make a very viable candidate for the next generation of Simi’s police officers.

“I think Kenny has the ability with his drive and focus to be anything he wants to be,” Thompson said. “If he set his mind to it, I’m sure there are officers in our department who might be working for him someday.”