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 Ninety-seven percent of Keuka College graduates begin
careers or enroll in graduate school within 6 to 9
months of commencement.
There’s a good chance Class of 2008 member Steven Mitchell will be eight months ahead of his peers. If things go as planned, Mitchell will be a part-time road patrol officer for the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office and a full-time student at Keuka beginning September 2007. Mitchell recently began training at the Rochester Fire and Police Academy. “I will have to read a lot, and go through a lot of physical training,” he said. “The academy is run rigidly to make sure we will be able to handle the duties of a police officer. The program in which I am enrolled is designed for college students, so I can go to the academy and still go to school.” For Mitchell, the first days at the academy “have been very busy and I have learned a lot. I am not allowed to discuss what we learn there with anyone. It is difficult balancing school and the academy.” A criminology/criminal justice major from Rochester, Mitchell’s path to the academy began when he took the civil service exam “just for practice. |
“I took another written exam and the psychological, physical and mental exams, but I was just doing those for practice,” said Mitchell. “I kept doing well on each test, but I didn’t anticipate getting hired.” Mitchell credits his Keuka courses—which provided the background in criminology and criminal justice—along with Field Period for helping him make it to the police academy. “I did a Field Period with the Irondequoit Police Department,” said Mitchell. “The environment was a little slower than with the city police, but it made realize that I do not want to be behind a desk all day. I want to be on the road and not in the offices. I met a lot of good people who gave me great references. I wouldn’t mind working there, though I want to ultimately get a job with the Rochester Police Department.” He also credits Gary Prawel, assistant professor and criminal justice coordinator in the Center for Professional Studies and International Programs. “He has been there to help me or answer any questions I’ve had,” said Mitchell. “He’s been a great resource and reference.” “Steve has demonstrated the ability to communicate effectively as well as think critically when presented with a fact pattern or issue to resolve,” said Prawel, who is confident Mitchell will do well at the police academy. |
“Although the rigorous demands of police academic training are vastly different from the academic community, the preparation Steve has received at Keuka
College will serve him well as he adapts to the new demands
that he will confront,” said Prawel. “He will be able to
apply the theory from his Keuka experiences to scenarios
developed from practical challenges in law enforcement.”
Mitchell got a taste of police work while he was in high school. “At the pizza place at which I work, a lot of the local cops come in to eat,” said Mitchell. “I got to know them well, so they let me go on ride-alongs.” One night while Mitchell was riding in the police car, there was a call concerning a domestic dispute. Two brothers were fighting and the house “looked like a war zone,” he said. “They were throwing TVs at each other, the couch had split in half, and everything was broken.” But that call did not dissuade Mitchell from his dream of entering the field. “I need something exciting to do for a career,” Mitchell explained, “like the night I was in the [police] car and the officer responding [to a call] turned on the lights and sirens and went down Monroe Avenue at 75 miles-per-hour. I like the excitement of putting my life on the line and having something new to do every day.” |
