In the United States,1 out of every 6 women have been victims of sexual assault. In the time it has taken me to write these two sentences, another person became a victim (RAINN). These statistics are likely inaccurate. For a number of reasons, many victims of sexual assault are never reported as such, making the numbers even more unbelievable. Among countless other reasons, the victims are my motivation for becoming a first responder. The goal is to work my way up to person's detective, to solve these kinds of crimes and deliver justice to the victims and their families. Despite my father being in law enforcement, following in his footsteps was never on my radar. When I got to Colorado State University, it wasn't until my Junior year that I really discovered my path. I took a class called Criminal Investigations, where in which multiple guest speakers were invited to discuss with us. Multiple detectives, officers, forensic scientists, morticians, and even victims came to share their experiences and explain what it means to serve their community. It was these individuals that fostered my inspiration and fueled my drive to help people. I found myself constantly excited for the class, and eager to learn more about what my future career would look like. One day, a victim came in to share her story. This was the first time that anything we had learned really started to feel real. She explained the crimes committed against her and the impact this had on her life. As she gave her presentation, officers from Fort Collins Police Station started filing into the room. There was probably close to ten or twelve of them sitting in full uniform at a tiny college desk, taking time out of their day to hear this woman speak. It wasn't until the presentation was finished that we learned that these officers had assisted in her investigation and helped her through the traumatic experience. She shared that she had garnered personal relationships with many of the responders in the room, and how each of them significantly helped to make the worst day of her life a little bit better. Then, each of the officers spoke and I remember one of them tearing up as she explained that the victims are the reason they do this. When the victims are adequately served and taken care of, their job is complete. That was it. I knew then that this was what I was meant to do. As a woman, I believe my unique experiences will increase the diversity in my field and help me to connect personally with certain members of my community. This scholarship will significantly aid me in completing my degree so that I can take the next step toward accomplishing my goals, saving lives, and serving my community. Sources Cited RAINN. “Scope of the Problem: Statistics | RAINN.” Rainn.org, rainn.org/statistics/scope-problem.

In the United States,1 out of every 6 women have been victims of sexual assault. In the time it has taken me to write these two sentences, another person became a victim (RAINN). These statistics are likely inaccurate. For a number of reasons, many victims of sexual assault are never reported as such, making the numbers even more unbelievable. Among countless other reasons, the victims are my motivation for becoming a first responder. The goal is to work my way up to person's detective, to solve these kinds of crimes and deliver justice to the victims and their families. Despite my father being in law enforcement, following in his footsteps was never on my radar. When I got to Colorado State University, it wasn't until my Junior year that I really discovered my path. I took a class called Criminal Investigations, where in which multiple guest speakers were invited to discuss with us. Multiple detectives, officers, forensic scientists, morticians, and even victims came to share their experiences. It was these individuals that fostered my inspiration and fueled my drive to help people. I found myself constantly excited for the class, and eager to learn more about what my future career would look like. One day, a victim came in to share her story. This was the first time that anything we had learned really started to feel real. She explained the crimes committed against her and the impact this had on her life. As she gave her presentation, officers from Fort Collins Police Station started filing into the room. There was probably close to ten or twelve of them sitting in full uniform at a tiny college desk, taking time out of their day to hear this woman speak. It wasn't until the presentation was finished that we learned that these officers had assisted in her investigation and helped her through the traumatic experience. She shared that she had garnered personal relationships with many of the responders in the room, and how each of them significantly helped to make the worst day of her life a little bit better. Then, each of the officers spoke and I remember one of them tearing up as she explained that the victims are the reason they do this. When the victims are adequately served and taken care of, their job is complete. That was it. I knew then that this was what I was meant to do. As a woman, I believe my unique experiences will increase the diversity in my field and help me to connect personally with certain members of my community. This scholarship will significantly aid me in completing my degree so that I can take the next step toward accomplishing my goals, saving lives, and serving my community. Sources Cited RAINN. “Scope of the Problem: Statistics | RAINN.” Rainn.org, rainn.org/statistics/scope-problem.

For most of my time attending Colorado State University, I had little idea about what I wanted to pursue in life. I grew up in a law enforcement family in which my dad has been a police officer for as long as I can remember. It was always incredible to listen to his stories and his experience, and his influence is what sparked my interest in criminology. When I got to college, I had the idea that I would study criminology, however pursuing anything in law enforcement was always terrifying to me even though becoming a detective is what I really wanted to do. As a woman, I had a certain perception of what a police officer looked like, and I did not fit this perception. I got it into my head that I was too small, or too weak to pursue law enforcement, and that it would be impossible for me to ever become a detective. This mental block caused a lot of uncertainty and anxiety about what my future would look like. After taking a criminal investigations course at Colorado State University, I have finally been able to be confident in pursuing what I want more than anything to do. A woman working with Fort Collins Police Station was invited to speak to our class, and through her speech, she inspired me to make the decision that I would pursue law enforcement. Officer Bailey completely altered my preconceived notions of the "big buff male cop", and her experiences taught me that I am capable of anything I wish to pursue if I work hard enough for it. After her visit to our class, I have felt extremely confident in my future path and finally have something to work for as well as be excited for. Not only did she teach me that women can be police officers and help make the world a better place, but she also provided a shining example of what and who I want to be. It is obvious that the criminal justice system is incredibly flawed and does not have much diversity when it comes to law enforcement. I believe diversity in a system so important to the well-being of our society is crucial in working towards fixing many of the issues that it faces. As a society, we cannot expect any substantial change to occur unless we actively do something about the issues we perceive. I am extremely passionate about the empowerment of women and moving forward I want to show not only the world but also myself that I am capable of accomplishing anything. I wish to be the change that I want to see within law enforcement, and I also hope to inspire other women to pursue the field as well. The power to overcome stereotypes lies completely in our hands, we are responsible for overcoming what and who we are told to be. Thanks to Officer Bailey, I am confident in my ability to lead by example as just one of the many women to break through societal barriers and accomplish the impossible.