FAIRVIEW PARK, OH — Ohio State Highway Patrol Trooper Alejandro Giraldo has been named the 2019 Trooper of the Year for the Cleveland Post. He was chosen for the award because of his leadership abilities, ethics, courteous treatment of others, enthusiasm and attitude, the Patrol said.

Giraldo, 24, has been part of community partnerships throughout the county. He has participated in school career fairs, drunken driving offender programs, student engagement at Cleveland Municipal and Fairview Park schools, Hooping for Hunger and other events. "He has only been a trooper two years but he is the light of his world and a clear leader among leaders," one trooper said of Giraldo.

With his recognition as Cleveland Post's Trooper of the Year, Giraldo is now in contention for district and state trooper of the year awards. Giraldo joined the Ohio State Highway Patrol in 2017. He is originally from Colombia. He moved to the United States when he was 4 and grew up on the west side of Cleveland. He moved to Fairview Park as a teenager and graduated from Fairview High School. He attended Bowling Green State University and graduated with a degree in criminal justice.