When Heaven Rodrigue decided to earn her B.S. in Criminal Justice, a degree offered both online and on campus at UL Lafayette, it was purely by chance.
Initially choosing another major because of the earning potential it would give her, she found herself unhappy and looking for more.
小蝌蚪APP淚 hated it,小蝌蚪APP she recalls. 小蝌蚪APP淚 didn小蝌蚪APP檛 fit in with my classmates, I was failing two classes, and I just wanted to drop out.小蝌蚪APP
So, she pulled up the 小蝌蚪APP小蝌蚪APP檚 list of majors on her phone, gave one big scroll, and looked at the options that were on her screen when the scroll stopped.
Criminal justice stood out to her the most; in high school, she enjoyed debating and studying law.
小蝌蚪APP淚 don小蝌蚪APP檛 want to be a lawyer, but I was like, 小蝌蚪APP楬ey, that would be fun, studying the justice system,小蝌蚪APP櫺◎蝌紸PP she says.
And with that, her journey began.
Finding Her Place
As Rodrigue completed her first criminal justice class, CJUS 101: Introduction to Criminal Justice, she knew that she had picked the right major.
The COVID-19 pandemic forced the class 小蝌蚪APP and many of Rodrigue小蝌蚪APP檚 undergraduate classes 小蝌蚪APP online, but she found joy in engaging in virtual discussion forums.
小蝌蚪APP淯sually, if we were in person, we小蝌蚪APP檇 be having discussions and debates in the classroom,小蝌蚪APP she says. 小蝌蚪APP淪o, online, a big portion of our work for the class was making discussion forum posts and having those discussions in a virtual format. And a lot of us were scared because we didn小蝌蚪APP檛 want to state our opinions or debate about political things like our country小蝌蚪APP檚 justice system.小蝌蚪APP
However, when a classmate of hers started making statements that she disagreed with in their posts, she knew it was time to bring out her debate skills.
小蝌蚪APP淚 just fell in love with it, the discussions I got to have virtually in that class, particularly with that classmate I disagreed with,小蝌蚪APP she says. 小蝌蚪APP淭丑别 professor would always chime in on our threads to give us relevant articles to read or provide relevant statistics. It was so fun and engaging.小蝌蚪APP
As Rodrigue progressed in the program, she realized that earning a bachelor小蝌蚪APP檚 degree wouldn小蝌蚪APP檛 be her stopping point.
She cites CJUS 311: Crime and Mental Health as a particularly impactful class for her. The course covers the intersection of mental health and the criminal justice system, giving students a better understanding of how to handle justice-related issues among individuals with mental health diagnoses.
小蝌蚪APP淔or me, that was the class that made me realize how important the field of criminal justice is,小蝌蚪APP she recalls. 小蝌蚪APP淲e learned all about specialty courts, substance abuse, and other topics.小蝌蚪APP
Specialty courts, Rodrigue explains, are programs in the court system that emphasize rehabilitation over punishment. Drug courts, for example, help those with addiction and substance use disorder recover and live 小蝌蚪APP渇ull, productive, and sober lives,小蝌蚪APP saving the justice system money in the long term, .
Preparing for a Career
Criminal justice is a broad field, Rodrigue asserts, covering everything from research and the academic study of justice issues to the day-to-day patrol and law enforcement in communities.
Although the B.S. in Criminal Justice program was just the starting point in Rodrigue小蝌蚪APP檚 academic career, it also equips students with the skills and knowledge they need to thrive working in the justice system immediately after graduating.
In their senior year, students in the program work with Paula Broussard, master instructor and internship coordinator, to get hands-on experience in an area of criminal justice that interests them.
Rodrigue interned in case management for Louisiana小蝌蚪APP檚 .
小蝌蚪APP淚 was working with people who had substance use issues and were enrolled in the program,小蝌蚪APP she says. 小蝌蚪APP淭丑别 main part of my job was working with each person小蝌蚪APP檚 probation officer to make sure people in the program were sticking to their plan.小蝌蚪APP
小蝌蚪APP淚f somebody in the program failed their drug test, I would reach out to get an explanation from them. If they needed resources, I would refer them to the right place. My job was to be that person and face that they could trust for help and guidance.小蝌蚪APP
Rodrigue has seen her classmates from the program follow a variety of career paths.
Some have gone off to law school.
Others have gone on to teach through programs like , a nonprofit that partners with K-12 schools and after-school programs to provide mentorship, education, and skills training, or , a nonprofit that places college graduates as teachers in underserved K-12 schools with the goal of reducing educational inequity.
小蝌蚪APP淲hen people tell me that all I小蝌蚪APP檓 going to do with my degree is be a police officer, I tell them that I personally don小蝌蚪APP檛 know a single police officer,小蝌蚪APP Rodrigue says. 小蝌蚪APP淭hat小蝌蚪APP檚 one option, but there小蝌蚪APP檚 so much more. You can go to law school become a lawyer or judge. You can get a staff job for a court or law enforcement agency. You can be a teacher, too. It小蝌蚪APP檚 all about what you make of your degree.小蝌蚪APP
With her degree, Rodrigue hopes to go on to earn a Ph.D. and pursue a career in teaching and research.
Currently studying in the 小蝌蚪APP小蝌蚪APP檚 M.S. in Criminal Justice program, she小蝌蚪APP檚 particularly interested in researching veterans' treatment courts. Like the program she interned for, these courts help rehabilitate those who struggle with substance use disorders, specifically veterans.
Succeeding in Criminal Justice
Rodrigue points out three skills necessary for any criminal justice student who wants to succeed: the ability to write, the ability to research, and the ability to ask questions.
For those who struggle with the first two, lean on the 小蝌蚪APP小蝌蚪APP檚 resources and dedicated faculty, she advises.
小蝌蚪APP淭丑别 has so many great databases and a great reference desk to point you where you need to go,小蝌蚪APP she says. 小蝌蚪APP淚f you aren小蝌蚪APP檛 that strong of a writer, email your professors and ask for feedback. They小蝌蚪APP檙e incredible and always happy to work with you and help you. And the is always an option, too.小蝌蚪APP
To thrive in the field, Rodrigue encourages students to maintain a sense of curiosity. Criminal justice is a broad field with lots of possibilities, she asserts.
小蝌蚪APP淚n criminal justice, there小蝌蚪APP檚 no such thing as a stupid question. You小蝌蚪APP檒l find areas that you小蝌蚪APP檙e interested in. Pursue those areas, dig deeper, and make it your own.小蝌蚪APP
Prepare for an impactful career in the justice system by earning your B.S. in Criminal Justice online.