Reflections on my education
During my time in the program, there has been a lot of new information and knowledge that I was able to learn. The program taught me how to serve the people and understanding these things has improved my critical thinking skills through a meaningful academic practices. There were many aspects of the program that can help me achieve both of my personal and professional goals. As a student, I came to the point where I became more confident that I can accomplish my roles in more professional and skillful manner. Even though I have been in the law enforcement for quite some time now, the program will help me increase my current understanding about law enforcement and criminology. Thus, completing this program will also open new doors of opportunities for me to serve the people. I am aware that there are different career opportunities in this field, such as business security, law, corrections, court administration, and even victim advocacy. However, I find it more interesting to have a police position in the Department of Treasury. Then again, I must be able to gain enough knowledge through this program in order to further my desired career in the future. Completing this program is just one of the primary steps in achieving my future personal goals. During this time, my patience and discipline will be challenged and I am aware that this program will help me build a stronger self-discipline, which is needed to achieve whatever goals I am aiming for a better future.
This program will also help me in in becoming a better follower toward a better leader. I understand that the education I am going to obtain will not just focus on the aspect of academic elements, but also to enhance my personal characteristics as a person and as a professional. Therefore, I am preparing myself for further learnings that I will encounter for the rest of the program.
Critical assessment of my knowledge of the field of Criminal Justice
In my prior knowledge of criminal justice, I have come to learn that this is a very exciting, addictive, and rewarding career choice. This career is all about following our core principles: Honor to serve truthfully, courage to face danger & challenges, commitment to my oath of duty, follow my superior officers, and to be a leader to those under my command. The skills I have learned has made me feel more confident in talking to people and taking charge without hesitating. I have been in law enforcement going on 8 years.
During my 8 years in the law enforcement, I was able to encounter different situations, where my decision-making ability has been a crucial factor. Although my time in service has taught me many things about the field of criminal justice, I know that there are still more to be learned about it. I also have the knowledge about criminology, crime and even the administration of justice. However, I wanted to gain deeper awareness about the issues encompassed within these branches. I have mentioned that this career choice is rewarding. That is because, one of my passions is to use my skills to ensure that the community I live within is free from any threats against criminals and other law offenders. For as long as I can see that my fellow community members live peacefully without the presence of any danger, then I feel very rewarding as part of the law enforcement.
I also feel the excitement of performing my duty as a law enforcer as I can feel the authority to address a certain problems within my scope of duty. I can say that my knowledge of the field of Criminal Justice will not stay as a mere awareness, but it will stay in my mind as part of passion to serve the people and my country, and to become a role model for my family, friends and the rest of my community.
A plan for the future
Short-term goals
After I graduate and get my associate’s degree in criminal justice, I will start my personal trainer courses. In order for that to happen I will first have to enroll into the program. The school I will be enrolling into is called International Sports Science Association (ISSA). I will be taking this class online which will take me 10 weeks to get my certification. Once I have my certification I will get a part-time job at a gym so I can train others. Hopefully after I get my personal trainer license, I will be heading to police academy again for the police position at The Department of Treasury. The academy is 12 weeks I believe. I will have to get more information on the academy part. I will later enroll back into Kaplan University so I can work on getting my bachelor’s degree in criminal justice. In order to get my bachelor’s degree in criminal justice, I will have to get with my counselor. I know that I will have to get 90 more credits in order to graduate with my bachelor’s degree in criminal justice. I will have to go into the degree plan on the Kaplan online site and figure out what courses I need to take in order to get my bachelor’s degree.
Long-term goals
My first goal I would need to make sure I have a passing grade for each class I take for my Master of Science in Criminal Justice degree. My second goal is to be employed with the US Marshal. In order for that to happen I will have to first turn my resume in to usajobs.gov. Once I am accepted I will have to go through the interview process and physical fitness test. If I pass everything, I will be sent off to the US Marshal basic training academy for 21 ½ weeks. My third goal is to get married and have kids. I would like to be finish with the academy before thinking about marriage or kids. I just feel if it happens before time then it was meant to happen. My fourth goal I want to own a fitness center. I would have to get a loan through a finance company but I haven’t really thought about what company yet. I would have to think more on that but I do know I want that goal to happen for me. My last goal is I will have to do at least 25 years in order to retire with the US Marshal. In order to own my dream home, I will make sure my credit score is good and then find a good realtor.
Steps to take in achieving my goals
In order for me to achieve my future goals, I have to be a well-disciplined person. Self-discipline is the primary step for every person who wants to achieve his or her future goals. I will also consider these goals as some the most important things in my life and should be viewed as my top priorities. I would have to shift to creative and determined mindset so that I can discover solutions for any potential challenges that may come along. I will treat these goals as if my life depends on them.
For me to achieve these goals, I will have a list of my priorities that I need to accomplish. I will also specify some specific plans for every priority so that I can manage my time and finances to accomplish every priority. Although my goals include several personal and professional plans, I must ensure that I am on the right track toward the ultimate goal of my life. I will set a time plan for every goal to check on my progress and to know whether I need to adjust on some of my priorities or if I need to focus on something that I have taken for granted. In that way, every priorities on my list will be accomplished accordingly. I understand that this will be a long journey for me, but I should have a concrete plan to make every priority achievable within the given time frame. Otherwise, I might not be able to achieve my goals or fail on some of them. Then again, these steps that will be included in my plan will serve as my guide toward my future success.
