Growing up, I always knew I would've wanted to become a part of the Law Enforcement career. "I want to be a cop" is what I would tell my uncle. Living in a small town, there weren't as many officers due to the fact that it was a small and peaceful place. When there were cops on duty though, my uncle and I would go outside to sit and watch what was happening. I remember being so intrigued by it. In my opinion, I think becoming a detective is one of the most interesting things someone could do. You get the facts and the evidence on the case, and it's up to you and other's to figure out what really happened. Over time, the dream changed, I was finding myself, and dreaming of new things, but deep down my heart always stuck to becoming a homicide detective. I decided to stick to my former dream, and I took action early in my junior year of High School by becoming an explorer for the El Monte Police Department. I have been an explorer for 8 months, and I attended & graduated from the San Gabriel Valley Law Enforcement Explorer Academy at North View High School on January 20th, 2024. I received a Certificate of Recognition from the California State Assembly, A Certificate for completing the academy and an award for top physical fitness female cadet. The Academy was every Saturday from 6:45 AM to 3:45 PM for 13 weeks. I started on September 23rd, 2023. I remember that day exactly, it was a day of excitement, and nervousness, but it also turned into a day of heartbreak. The same day I started the academy was the same day my tia passed away. I felt lost, and I wanted to give up, but I knew I was passionate about my career so I stayed strong and never gave up on the academy no matter how hard it got. Throughout my time there, I have learned more about law enforcement, discipline, responsibility, and integrity. I have learned about the history of law enforcement, for example, the saying "Sheriff" originally came from the saying "Shire-Reeve". I have learned how to do scenarios like traffic stops, building searches, foot pursuits & i have learned the phonetic alphabet and radio codes, and working out. We took tests every other week on codes, definitions on words we needed to know, and we also had to work out consistently. Something I learned from the academy up to now is to never give up on your dream no matter what happens. Death is unexpected that everyone at one point goes through or grieves over, but the point is to not give up. I stayed strong, although I cried and was stressed because I had other things going on like school, AP classes, and sports. I stayed strong through it all, and it makes me feel proud of my accomplishment.