Seizing a career in law enforcement
Student of the Week: Janie Leeann Ramos
At South Texas College, Janie Ramos says she found the strength and confidence she will use as she enters the field as a law enforcement officer.
Janie says she has come a long way since her cheerleading days in high school, and most recently managing a local Chick-fil-A while she considered her career choice. Opting to join STC’s police academy in July, she now graduates this December and hopes to join the Texas Department of Public Safety as a state trooper one day.
“The STC Police Academy is the most amazing program in the Valley because they teach you everything you need to know, not just physically but mentally,” Janie said. “We go through real life scenarios using a simulator that puts you in the center of a real life situation, and your job is to use what you've learned in training and put it to work.”
STC offers two degrees in Public Safety including an Associate of 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.
“The STC Police Academy is the most amazing program in the Valley because they teach you everything you need to know, not just physically but mentally.”
The Basic Peace Officer certificate is designed to prepare students for a profession in law enforcement through training on the role and responsibilities of a law enforcement officer as well as knowledge in Texas criminal and traffic law.
Police cadets like Janie can then use the certificate and the completion of two basic courses, Ethics in Criminal Justice & Intermediate Arrest and Search & Seizure, to work towards an AAS-LE degree.
As a message to students considering a law enforcement career, Janie encourages them to take a leap of faith. In the process, students might discover a strength they didn’t know they had, she said.
“There are a lot of people who want to do this, but they're scared and they just don't ever try it out. I encourage everybody who is scared to at least try it,” she said. “This has definitely changed me for the better. I see life a little more differently. I look at my surroundings, I look at people, I look at things going on around me .You have to understand that when you become a cop, all eyes are on you
“It's never too late for any of that. But try it and you'll fall in love with it. As for me, I just can't wait,” she said.