Corey Poston, a senior at Auburn Riverside High School, captured the attention of his jewelry instructor, Wendy Woldenberg, with a symbolic piece of jewelry he created in honor of six fallen area police officers who were killed in the line of duty.

Poston’s design, called “Badge of Honor,” features a police badge made of brass, silver and nickel on a heavy link chain. The words, “The Fallen Officers,” “Police,” and “Washington” are inscribed on the badge. The badge opens like a locket, with a quote from James Dean inscribed on the inside: “Dream as if you’ll live forever, live as if you’ll die today.”

Around the chain, six brass quarter-size plates are inscribed with the names and years of life of each fallen officer—Seattle Police Officer Timothy Brenton, Lakewood Police Officers Sgt. Mark Renninger, Ronald Owens, Tina Griswold and Gregory Richards, and Pierce County Sheriff’s Deputy Kent Mundell. A handcrafted spinning bullet sits within each plate.

According to Poston, “My mom was a police officer in Oregon, so losing these local officers really meant something to me. I have respect for people who put their life on the line every day in their job. I felt it (the “Badge of Honor”) was something small I could do to give back to the police officers and their families.”

Poston’s work of art was entered into the Washington State Passing the Torch Competition and is on display at the Washington State History Museum in Tacoma.

Poston hopes that the piece of jewelry can be presented to the families of the officers or perhaps be used to raise donations for the memorial funds created in remembrance of the six fallen officers.