I graduated high school in 2013. I went to a liberal arts college and from there I took a break and then I went to community college. After that break, when I was in community college, the path that I was on with my psychology degree was to go back to that liberal arts college and further my education that way. But once I took the tour here on campus and I talked with staff and faculty and even students, I fell in love with the college here and then I kind of changed that direction and enrolled here instead and then changed my major and everything.

The approach of the college is what makes the big difference. When you compare my previous major of psychology to my new major of human services and restorative justice, the new one is so hands-on. We get to be in labs every day; we get to do internships that help us get to really know our programs. And our courses are very centered in the things that we would do in our everyday lives, which is a very big difference than what I was experiencing in my psychology major courses.

My program, human services and restorative justice, inspires me to be a better, more well-rounded person. Through this program, I can assist the vulnerable populations that I was once a part of.

What I love about this major is that it's very broad. It's not just psychology. It's psychology, sociology, and human services. It's the criminal justice system. It's all the complex topics that we deal with on a daily basis—in one major. And I think it's amazing.

Yes! The classes here have maybe 12 compared to 20 in the liberal arts college that I was at. Sometimes I was in a class with 50 or 60 students. I didn't get that one-on-one time with my professors the way I do here. I didn't get the one-on-one time with students, either. I have a connection with all the students in my major. At my liberal arts college, I knew one or two people in my classes. The professors here definitely played a big role as well. They are very hands-on with students.

They will push you. They will give you opportunities. At the other college, instructors have way more students to look after. So I think that makes it a bit harder. I love the classroom sizes. And like I said, even in our labs, just that hands-on, knowing that what I'm practicing every day is what I'm going to be doing with my degree, I love that. At other colleges, I did not get that. It was a book, homework, and assignments. Here, it's homework assignments and a lab where you practice what you will be doing. To me, there's no better way.

This semester's favorite class is Legal & Ethical Issues in Human Service & the Criminal Justice System. Since my career goals include becoming a Criminal Defense Attorney, then a Federal Judge, I am partial to any courses involving a legal aspect. Ever since I was younger, I knew that the law was my area of interest, explicitly upholding ALL Americans' rights, as the Constitution granted. I believe becoming a Justice on our Supreme Court can help guarantee that.

The atmosphere here is very helpful with that. My professors are very flexible, even if I have to bring her in with me or if I need to miss class because she is sick. I’ve been able to attend classes remotely in some cases. Also, Penn College has a day care and it's an educational day care. So I know that once she's in there, she’ll be right here. She's getting all the help that I know she's going to need. This place is amazing for students like me who are nontraditional and have children of their own. And I very much appreciate that. And I’m very grateful for that.

I was scared about the transferring process at first. I worried because I had two other institutions under my belt and I wasn’t sure about placement tests and things like that. But the counselors here are awesome. My counselor made the transfer process super easy. It's super simple. I transferred here in a day. It did not take me long to get here. The counselors will give you their phone number and their email. They are available. They will help you in every, every which way they can. So trust me, transferring here is just a matter of you deciding that you want come to Penn College and we will get you here.

I've actually brought my brothers and sisters here for tours already. I always tell people that the best thing is to tour a college before you come to it. When you come, you not only get to see the major that you want, but you get to see how it's run. You get to talk to the actual professors, you get to see the students, you get to see the community that's around and you get to feel the campus. If you don't take that tour, you're not going to really know what it is that you're getting into until your first day of class. And I don't think that benefits anybody if you do it that way.

My primary responsibilities included interviewing and maintaining general contact with clients, conducting investigations and research, and drafting documents, pleadings, and correspondence. While I had many exciting experiences and projects, one that stuck out the most was my first solo project. I was given a case involving a murder, and as I started doing my investigations and due diligence, I began to find inconsistencies and a possible defense for our client. This project was the first time I could investigate, provide evidence, develop a strategy, and make a PowerPoint informing the attorney on the case of everything I had found. I fully immersed myself in preparing for a trial's daily tasks and foundation.

I'm going to go to law school. I'm planning on pursuing a law career. I plan to be a criminal defense attorney. And what I love about my major is that since it's human services and restorative justice, I'm already getting both sides of everything and all the tools that I'm going to need in order to help level me up to where I see myself one day.

Penn College's hands-on educational experience, internships, and leadership options have given me the skills, tools, incentives, and opportunities to do what I see myself doing for the rest of my life.