Academy welcomes new class
CELINA — The Wright State University – Lake Campus Police Academy has started classes back up and instructors are excited to teach new students about a future career in law enforcement.
The university is taking on another round of cadets this year and they are already hitting the ground running when it comes to the curriculum. With the academy being taught by retired police officers, they can expect to have plenty of good advice coming from the experiences of these officers. Some of them have event worked emergency services before.
“I’m currently a 911 dispatcher and I’m ready to make more of a difference out on the streets than in the office,” stated Jill Gemmer, a student of the academy. She found out about the local class through her work. “One of my current sergeants of my department is a part-time instructor here for this class.”
Gemmer herself is planning on taking other classes after the academy is over, but others have much broader goals in mind at the moment.
Shawn Sturwold, another student, learned about it from the commander there and decided to join up.
“I want to make a difference in the world,” Sturwold had said when asked about why he wanted to join the academy. He believes that anyone else can do this and simply wanted to do this for himself. “Be the change you want to see in the world.”
The both of them are expecting the class to go well, and they’re sure as long as the students work together well enough throughout the year. Gemmer and Sturwold, along with the other students, plan on having each other’s backs this year and are excited to see the end of this class after they all pass.
The teachers themselves are excited to teach the new batch of students as well.
Mark Ernst has been teaching at the academy for years now, especially as a former police officer himself.
“I still enjoy it. I take a lot of enjoyment out of teaching, passing on the knowledge that I’ve picked up over the years as a law enforcement officer,” Ernst stated when asked about how he felt about teaching. “It’s nice to see the excitement from the cadets as they’re getting ready to enter the field of law enforcement.”
The academy at Wright State offers a bit of everything, according to Ernst. They have a variety of instructors at their disposal, all with at least some form of background in law enforcement. Their experience is indispensable when it comes to teaching the new generations on how to do their jobs in the near future.
He said he has high expectations for the class, and noted that this year’s class has one of the highest amount of female students, at about six students. The academy is also focusing on getting STAR Certification this year to help further their goals.
Ernst himself is fond of the driving courses he usually takes charge of during the school year.
“They scare me more than I scare them with their driving,” Ernst joked when asked if he liked scaring the students at all. The main goal of the class is to teach students maneuverability and how to conduct high speed chases in police cruisers. “There’s a lot of things we can teach them while they’re out there on the streets and everything. And again, it’s a fun class.”
Ernst encourages anyone that wants to join a police academy or considering a job in law enforcement to take the risk. The Wright State University – Lake Campus Police Academy is one he considers to be the best, and any and all are welcome to apply in future.