ECSO Explorer Capt. Colten Prater accepted into National Leadership Academy

Photo courtesy Ellis County Sheriff's Office.

Ellis County Sheriff's Office Explorer Capt. Colten Prater has been accepted into the U.S. Marshals National Leadership Academy.

ELLIS COUNTY — Ellis County Sheriff's Office Explorer Capt. Colten Prater has been accepted into the U.S. Marshals National Leadership Academy. The one-week academy will be held in July in Washington, D.C. Prater, 20, is the son of Jeff and Shawna Prater of The Colony. He has been an Explorer the past seven years, the last two with the Ellis County Sheriff's Office's Explorer Post.

Exploring has taught him "how to be a leader, responsibility, urgency, compassion and patience," he says, saying that he applied to the Leadership Academy "because I know that it will be a great experience for me and I want to be able to bring back what I learned to the Explorers.

"I expect to learn more about myself along with more ways I can use to influence the people around me and to become a better leader," he said. "I will share the gained knowledge with others the best way I know how to and that is by putting them in my shoes when I share with them the information I learned."

During his tenure as an Explorer, Prater has received many honors, including Explorer of the Year, two Community Service Awards and a Life Saving Award. He has been a member of a top five placing team at the state Texas Law Enforcement Explorer Advisor Association state championship the past four years. In 2014, as post captain, Prater led his four-person Ellis County Sheriff's Office Explorer team to first place overall honors at the TLEEAA state championship, setting a new state record with a 99.75 out of a possible 100 score. He also has led his team to several other first place awards in other competitions held throughout the state.

As an individual in the state competition's physical agility competition, Prater has taken top honors the past four years and, in 2014, broke his previous state record score. Other honors he has earned as a Law Enforcement Explorer include National Law Enforcement Explorer Conference, Distinguished Physical Fitness Award, Firearms Training, Drug Abuse Prevention, Emergency Preparedness, Law Enforcement Service, Law Enforcement Training, Crime Prevention, Community Service, Color Guard, Explorer Academy Attendance and Tenure. In 2015, he has received the Gold Presidential Service Award and the Career Achievement Award.

Earlier this spring, Prater and his fellow Explorers from the Ellis County Sheriff's Office Explorer Post were honored with resolutions at the state Capitol and have previously been honored with a proclamation by the Ellis County Commissioners Court.

"I have been all across the state and nation seeing how Exploring posts conduct their meetings and how they train," Prater said. "Not once have I come across a group of young men and women who are so dedicated not only to themselves, but to their team and Exploring post. The men and women of the Ellis County Sheriff Explorers post are a close group of individuals who treat each other as family instead of friends: that if one of them is in need of help, they all stand up ready to do so.

"To me this is what Exploring is about," Prater said. "It's not the trophies or competitions, but building a family and having relationships that last a lifetime. The young men and women of this post have taught me this and I am grateful."

Prater's future plans include a career in law enforcement, either with the state troopers or the U.S. Marshal's Service.

Only 90 Explorers from around the nation were selected for this summer's academies sponsored by Learning for Life. In all, four Explorers from the Ellis County Sheriff's Office Exploring Post were accepted. Besides Prater, Explorer Lt. Gage Adams, Explorer Sgt. Shelby Snodgress and Explorer Sgt. Trevor Snodgress were all accepted to this summer's academies.