Criminal Justice Major Spends Summer Experiencing Life in Law Enforcement
Junior Kalie Coulter spent her summer getting a firsthand look into the world of law enforcement not far from the Seton Hill campus.
As one of the participants in the Pennsylvania State Police’s Law and Leadership Academy, Kalie had the opportunity to experience the process of becoming a cadet in a law enforcement training environment.
“Seton Hill educated me about the law enforcement field and community, which gave me valuable insight going into the Law and Leadership Academy program,” Kalie said. “This has been a great stepping stone and an insider’s look into what it means to be in the law enforcement world.”
Kalie connected with a trooper who was on campus for a job fair, and with assistance from her instructors Associate Professor of Criminal Justice Shavonne Arthurs and Barton Lemansky, an adjunct instructor at Seton Hill and a retired Pennsylvania State Police Academy instructor, she submitted her application and was accepted into the 15-week program.
“The Law and Leadership Academy is an excellent opportunity for students interested in moving into law enforcement and beyond. It truly provides students with hands-on experience in the criminal justice field,” Arthurs said. “As our first student to take part in the program, Kalie models the ideals of both Seton Hill and the Pennsylvania State Police. I believe this partnership will continue to grow in the future.”
Kalie, a criminal justice major and psychology minor, interacted with a variety of special units including the K-9 unit and canine searches, the Forensics Service Unit and how they conduct searches and analyze data for investigations, and the Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Specialist (CARS) unit, which investigates serious and fatal motor vehicle crashes.
She also learned the importance of teamwork and physical training through work with medicine balls and boxing lessons, as well as tactical control simulations and the use of force in escalating situations.
“This summer, I discovered that meeting high standards like those set in the Law and Leadership Academy is not only beneficial on a personal level, but helps you become a person others can depend on,” Kalie said. “I’ve also become aware of the plethora of specializations and pathways that the Pennsylvania State Police has to offer, the amount of dedication and work that law enforcement requires and what it truly means to ‘protect and serve.’”
Kalie is passionate about working with children in the system and is potentially interested in one of the different specializations the State Police offers that would allow her to do so. If she doesn’t opt to join the State Police, she intends to work with children as a child advocate or in a similar role.
As one of the participants in the Pennsylvania State Police’s Law and Leadership Academy, Kalie had the opportunity to experience the process of becoming a cadet in a law enforcement training environment.
“Seton Hill educated me about the law enforcement field and community, which gave me valuable insight going into the Law and Leadership Academy program,” Kalie said. “This has been a great stepping stone and an insider’s look into what it means to be in the law enforcement world.”
Kalie connected with a trooper who was on campus for a job fair, and with assistance from her instructors Associate Professor of Criminal Justice Shavonne Arthurs and Barton Lemansky, an adjunct instructor at Seton Hill and a retired Pennsylvania State Police Academy instructor, she submitted her application and was accepted into the 15-week program.“The Law and Leadership Academy is an excellent opportunity for students interested in moving into law enforcement and beyond. It truly provides students with hands-on experience in the criminal justice field,” Arthurs said. “As our first student to take part in the program, Kalie models the ideals of both Seton Hill and the Pennsylvania State Police. I believe this partnership will continue to grow in the future.”
Kalie, a criminal justice major and psychology minor, interacted with a variety of special units including the K-9 unit and canine searches, the Forensics Service Unit and how they conduct searches and analyze data for investigations, and the Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Specialist (CARS) unit, which investigates serious and fatal motor vehicle crashes.
She also learned the importance of teamwork and physical training through work with medicine balls and boxing lessons, as well as tactical control simulations and the use of force in escalating situations.
“This summer, I discovered that meeting high standards like those set in the Law and Leadership Academy is not only beneficial on a personal level, but helps you become a person others can depend on,” Kalie said. “I’ve also become aware of the plethora of specializations and pathways that the Pennsylvania State Police has to offer, the amount of dedication and work that law enforcement requires and what it truly means to ‘protect and serve.’”
Kalie is passionate about working with children in the system and is potentially interested in one of the different specializations the State Police offers that would allow her to do so. If she doesn’t opt to join the State Police, she intends to work with children as a child advocate or in a similar role.