16
January
2019
|
10:25 AM
America/Chicago

Pedro Ybarra secures future with a degree in law enforcement

Student of the Week: Pedro Ybarra

Pedro Ybarra believes he is finally coming out on top after working for his degree off and on over the course of eight years.

Pedro has been employed by the City of Mission Police Department as a communications dispatcher for over 10 years and is now looking to graduate in May 2019 with an associate degree in law enforcement. He says he would like to enter a career in Information Technology or business management.

“In the department that I work for right now, there is the IT department, of course, that deals with all the law enforcement software and encryption, but then there's also the investigative part where they deal in cybercrime and utilize many tools to fight crime,” Pedro said. “That seems like a pretty interesting avenue to go down.”

Drawn to a career in law enforcement since he was young, Pedro says he had taken a number of security-related jobs over the years until he had a chance meeting with a former Mission police chief who noticed his commitment to the job at a retail store and offered him a job with the department.

“For the past few years, I've been able to slowly but surely get what I needed to get going,” he said. “Thanks to STC, the future's looking pretty nice for me. “If everything falls where it needs to fall, I think everything is going to be going well.”

“For the past few years, I've been able to slowly but surely get what I needed to get going. Thanks to STC, the future's looking pretty nice for me. If everything falls where it needs to fall, I think everything is going to be going well.”
Student of the Week Pedro Ybarra

When it comes to law enforcement, STC’s Regional Center for Public Safety Excellence (RCPSE) establishes integrative training for local, state and federal professionals in law enforcement, public safety, fire safety and Homeland Security along the US/Mexico border.

STC offers two degrees in Public Safety including an Associate in Applied Science- Law Enforcement (AAS-LE) and a Certificate in Law Enforcement (Texas Peace Officer). Each degree helps students jump start their careers with federal, state, and local governmental entities.

As a message to students, Pedro says dedication is the key to succeeding while in college.

“You get bumps in the road, things that just throw you for a loop, and you feel like it's not going to get any better but you've got to come back from that and not let it hold you back, and just keep going,” he said. “It gets dark sometimes, but if you fight through it, you will come out on top one of these days.”