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To Protect and Serve: Criminal Justice and Life Calling

Published: April 13, 2021

One day, time slows as Trendon Amuzie 13 pauses to choose the best words for the report he must complete. The routine statement is nothing extraordinary, but the Mt. Carmel (Ill.) police officer knows those who read it value a clear and accurate account.

Another day, tensions run high as he and his colleagues sweep a stairwell at the local high school in response to reports of an armed intruder. Its just a drill, but their weapons are drawn, and students including those who have already heard gunshots from the exercise fill nearby classrooms.

GRADUATING WITH WORK EXPERIENCE

Police work is often described as hours of boredom punctuated by moments of sheer terror. Amuzie understands that reality, thanks in part to the internship he completed to meet requirements for his undergraduate studies in criminal justice at Greenville College.

He graduated in May 2013 and secured his position with the Mt. Carmel Police Department that same month. Five months later, he graduated from the Police Academy in Champaign, IL.

Still, he looks back on the internship he filled at the States Attorneys Office in his hometown during his sophomore year at GC as an eye-opener.

I got my feet wet, he said. It showed me how nitty-gritty the job can get. That's something you can never experience in the classroom.

MORE THAN JOB TRAINING

What Amuzie did experience in the classroom, however, proved to be relevant preparation for his current work:

  • Strong communication skills GC has prepared me well. Ive been told by my states attorney that I write great reports.
  • The broad understanding that comes with liberal arts studies I added psychology as a second major to round out my college experience. Good people skills are crucial to police work.
  • Attention to vocation and life calling I feel that God created me to protect and to serve.

Greenville College regularly places students in internships with the Illinois State Police, Bond County Sheriffs Office and the Greenville Police Department.

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