As part of National Crime Victims’ Week this April, DMACC Ankeny Professor Julie Roosa has shared with the Chronicle personal statements from her Criminal Justice students.
These essays are inspired by the “This I Believe” project, which encourages people from all walks of life to share their core values and beliefs.
Jayden Finn
By Jaden Finn
I am 24 years old. Graduated from Johnston High School but have been to two other high schools. I joined the Iowa National Guard at 18 and I have had a lot of conversations with older people as they have lived the life we are living. The end goal in my college career is to get into law. For me life should be focused on the balance of your mind to achieve all things you want.
The Bigger Hand
“She has been manipulating you, and if you keep listening to her someone is going to get hurt.” Those are the words of 12-year-old me that led to the bigger hand coming right at me. The truth is all it takes to make or break a character, and in this very instance I learned that with what I will say there will be consequences, so I took the bigger hand to the back of the head. Truth leads to fear, and fear leads to dishonesty and anger within a person, for the actions one has or does leads to consequences. I learned that staying truthful to yourself leads to you being less fearful of the events in your life. You tend to believe in yourself in almost every situation. In this situation the bigger hand is real and physical, in most it’s mental and a feeling of beating yourself up, majority of the mental situations aren’t because of you but because you have someone else in your own head making you second-guess everything you do. When does that stop?
At some point in life, you have to climb this mountain of fear that you have built up. It’s not an easy journey, and it most definitely is not a social journey. But those that stick with you will be those that you can trust. Your parents have tried teaching this path in their own way, but some like me are stubborn, we must try and fail before we listen. Life is hard like that.
We will get beaten with this bigger hand time and time again in every situation until we accept our fears, that is the way of life. For those that stay afloat and get back up you will succeed faster than those that ponder on the situation as if it wasn’t supposed to fail or be like that. You will encounter a failure in every situation of your life. That is the truth. I have been known by peers to be critical because I will tell them the truth no matter what the situation is. I had to lived in a household where no matter the truth my mother formed her own, she didn’t want to believe in me and my siblings. I have been beaten and hospitalized because of the abuse but I knew that no matter what I have been through it will make me stronger. I fought the mountain for years to be better than them, and when the smoke had cleared, I knew I was.
I believe that we all can be better than our predecessors, but it starts with you accepting the truth of everything in your life and taking the mask of this is who I want to be seen as off. There is no need to be fake for others as we all fight the same battle for the truth and the right to live how we choose no matter our race, gender, religion, or personal appearances. Believe in yourself and the truth and climb that mountain of fear making that bigger hand, smaller and you as I am now, will live in a better world. That is what I believe.
Ethan Abel
The Dreams of Law Enforcement
By Ethan Abel
What do I believe? This is a story of how a boy grew up to want to be a protector of all life. I grew up in a college town with three other siblings, myself being the middle child. I was raised without being pushed into religion even though my parents and other family members are religious and yet I have my own beliefs about life.
As I grew older, I was always active and always wanted to explore where I lived at the time, which was a mobile home park. With this I started to understand what I wanted my future to look like. I wanted to explore and be with nature where I can be genuinely happy and this is where I started to understand my values and what I wanted to do, but this would all change during middle school.
In middle school there was a kid taller than most kids thereof was described as a gentle giant. I was tall for my age, but I would not describe myself as a giant but with this said I was a somewhat popular kid in middle school with a friend group like everyone else. One day during lunch period there was an ongoing altercation between my one of my friends in the group with another kid and while they went to get food my friend tried to attack of the other person and without hesitation I grabbed my friend and prevented anybody from getting hurt and this made me feel good like I accomplish good within the society and from there on I knew what I wanted to do.
As I grew past middle school into high school, an event happened that shaped the man that I would become and would help me reinforce my beliefs of the world that I live in. When I was in high school, I viewed myself as a protector of people and carried myself to treat people the way that I want to be treated because of my beliefs that have been formed throughout my life and especially middle school, from then on I knew that I wanted to be in law enforcement either protecting people or the environment and nature.
Fortunately, I have not been in a position where I have been a victim of crime, but I understand how hard it is to speak out when you are a victim but my belief to all crime victims is that one event in your life does not define who you are and what you can become. This is my own belief about crime victims, and it is quite powerful because victims need to hear that they are capable to define their own lives.
It can be difficult to understand what someone has been through as a victim of crime; it is hard to understand the emotion of an individual of that especially when you have not experienced it, but from my limited understanding of crime victims they go through profound trauma in different forms and that seeking help is harder than it may seem but it is the most important thing to do to be able to live the life that you want.
I was once a child who didn’t know his values and beliefs and now, I am twenty-two and my beliefs are stronger than ever, and they are helping pursue my dreams of a career within Law Enforcement, as a kid I would only dream of this and now I am living it and this is how my beliefs have pushed me to be the human that I am now someone who puts other Infront of himself no matter what it is, and this is how my beliefs have helped me dream of becoming involved with law enforcement.
Brandon Wright
This I Believe
By Brandon Wright
When I was a kid, I wanted to be a police officer. Now, that’s easy to say as a kid who had no concept of how dangerous being a police officer was, but it’s what I wanted to do. Of course, as any kid does, my dream career changed more times than the sun sets, but being a police officer was always in the back of my mind. Of course, it didn’t stay that long after I discovered Borderlands 2 and my career switched to video game designer.
When first moving into Milo, my town growing up, I didn’t have much to do besides playing Xbox 360 and PS2 with my brother. My grandmother hated this, not because I was playing video games, but because I was ONLY playing video games. Because of this, she one day asked me if I wanted to join the Boy Scouts, and I said yes, thinking that it would be fun. And boy was it.
I spent almost 10 years in the Boy Scouts, and I loved every moment of it. In my early years, I spent so much time doing paperwork to get my pins in Webelos with the goal of getting them all for my arrow or light, and it was a LOT of paperwork, probably more than the president does in an entire term. It was at that time that I started to learn things beyond just what i got in school. I learned how to sharpen knives, carve, fish, all sorts of useful stuff.
When I graduated Webelos and became an official Boy Scout, things only got better from there. I was learning even more things, like how to budget, how to handle and clean a gun, how to camp, start fires, I even learned how to catch fish with nothing but a stick and a vine (absolutely true story, happened in my 2020 badge camp). I learned more from scouts than I ever thought I would starting out. Hell, I liked it so much that I became an Eagle Scout, which less than 4% of Boy Scouts do. And it’s all thanks to my grandma who just wanted me to get off the Xbox.
It goes just past my free time, too. Boy Scouts made me realize that I wanted to go back to pursuing my dream of becoming a police officer. If there’s one thing I learned in scouts, if nothing else, it’s how to be a leader and show empathy. Being the oldest scout in the troop, I felt responsible for being a role model to the younger boys. Learning skills such as public speaking and, believe it or not, crime prevention, I realized that I wanted to spend my life helping people who need it, and aiding those affected by crime.
Truth is, without Boy Scouts, I wouldn’t have learned any of the skills that I use even today, and I think that holds up with today’s youth. Truth is, I believe that everyone deserves to have a hobby they like. Most kids today are so glued to their screens that it’s all they can think about. Whether it’s sports, art, theater, or even scouts, I believe that everyone should find something to do that lets them fully express who they are. If i didn’t join scouts, then who knows, I might have been just another screen jockey, and most likely never go back to my dream of law enforcement. Thankfully, scouts allowed me to go past the screen and share priceless memories with those just like, and nothing like, me.
And it’s all thanks to grandma.
Brooklynn Olson
My name is Brooklynn Olson. I have dreamed of working in criminal justice my entire life. After working
many jobs in different careers and majors, I finally found my way back to my dream career. From a young age, I have been passionate about working in the criminal justice field, knowing it was the career path I wanted to pursue.
Although I explored other professions, such as nursing and retail, they never truly fulfilled my aspirations. My ultimate goal has always been to ensure that individuals receive justice and have their voices heard. This deep sense of purpose and commitment has driven my desire to work in the criminal justice system, where I can contribute to fairness, accountability, and positive change in society.
My first real introduction to the criminal justice field came from watching CSI: Miami with my sister. From the moment I saw it, I was captivated. For months, it was all I could talk about. I didn’t fully understand what it entailed at the time, but I knew I was drawn to it and wanted to learn more. I started researching about real-life investigations and crime scenes as my interest grew. Over time, my fascination evolved from being purely inspired by a TV show to a genuine desire to understand real cases and solve complex puzzles.
I have not had much direct experience with the court system. Still, I have always been fascinated by the legal processes prosecutors, attorneys, and judges undergo when preparing for a criminal or civil trial. My interest in courtroom procedures developed similarly to my passion for investigations—I spent much time watching court cases on YouTube and watching Court Cam with my dad.
One of the biggest reasons I wanted to pursue a career in criminal justice is my passion
for victim advocacy. While working in healthcare, I focused on patient advocacy and support,
ensuring patients felt heard, cared for, and respected. I have found that victim advocacy and
patient advocacy share many similarities in their core purpose—providing comfort, guidance,
and protection—but they also differ in meaningful ways. One aspect of criminal justice that has always stood out is the Department of Corrections.
I have heard countless stories about the poor conditions in many correctional facilities and the
mistreatment of inmates, which initially sparked my interest in this area. While correctional
facilities are not designed for comfort, there is no justification for the inhumane conditions that
many inmates endure. After touring jails and prisons, I saw firsthand the state of these facilities,
reinforcing my belief that significant change is needed in how prisons are managed and operated.
Criminal justice has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember, even before I fully recognized it.
Over time, it has become more than just an interest—it has become a fundamental part of who I am. Every aspect of the field has captivated me in different ways, from investigations to victim advocacy, and I know that what I have explored so far is just the beginning. As I continue to grow and gain more experience, my perspectives and motivations may evolve, and my interests within the field may shift.
I Believe in Shutting Up and Listening
By Ella Batten
Regarding my future work in criminal justice as a lawyer and from a citizen in society standpoint, I believe we need to shut up and listen. In my 16 years of living, I have found the importance of putting yourself aside and listening to someone else, both relating to criminal justice work and society as a whole.
An important part of being a lawyer is providing that simple trust in a client-lawyer relationship and making the client feel heard. This is where the rights of crime victims come in, including the crime victim’s core rights, especially the ones that consist of being treated with fairness, dignity, sensitivity, and respect, protection from intimidation and harassment, and the right to privacy, among many others.
The three listed are arguably the most important aspects a lawyer must uphold when regarding a crime victim. Crime victims are commonly treated by police as a way to obtain information, and often have to be revictimized when giving this information. It is of high importance that when lawyers work with crime victims on cases, the victims know that they are protected and are going to be treated with the sensitivity and respect they deserve.
Not only does this regard the feelings of the crime victims, but it establishes a sense of trust, which is necessary in many criminal justice aspects. Furthermore, listening requires you to dig deeper and really feel and understand a person’s emotions and feelings, that way they feel better heard.
Simply providing a trustworthy source to talk to can save a life. I had a good friend go through a rough time and she ended up considering making a choice that should never be made and cannot be undone. By ensuring she felt that I was listening and really cared, I was able to talk her out of it. I didn’t know that was the type of decision she was considering making until she told me about it a few months later.
She told me she had almost followed through, and if it weren’t for me, she would have done it. This really hit me deep and taught me that listening is more than just hearing what someone else is saying. Since I have experienced firsthand the difference being a caring, active listener can have on a person, I can also apply that to being an attorney. When an attorney makes sure their client feels listened to and appreciated, the client can feel more comfortable sharing information that can help build the case and help the lawyer be more thorough with their work.
It is not just lawyers who can find and utilize the importance of shutting up and listening. Simply taking the time to listen to someone, anyone, can have drastic effects, since you never can truly know what someone else is going through.
The world is a better place with you in it, and others deserve to feel that
sense of belonging as well.
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