This Weeks Goals

This week I plan to go to the San Ramon Police Department to talk to an officer about the Explorers program and see how I can get involved with it. I also plan on going to the Danville Police Department to turn in some forms for the ride-along program so that hopefully I can go on another ride-along soon.

Policing Urban America

Today I bought a book titled Policing Urban America by Geoffrey P. Alpert and Roger G. Dunham. The book details the facets of police work including the risks and the rewards. I am looking forward to reading the book and furthering my knowledge of police work and law enforcement!

Update + Book Search

Lately I have not been able to meet with my mentor, so i'm currently trying to get into the law enforcement explorers program at the San Ramon Police Department. I am also going to schedule a night ride-along with an officer at the Danville Police Department this week so that will be a cool experience. I've been looking for a non-fiction book on law enforcement but I haven't been able to find one but that is my goal for this week.   

First Ride-Along

Yesterday I went on my first ride-along with Officer Richards around Downtown Danville. It was an awesome experience and I learned a lot. We watched for traffic violations and pulled someone over for speeding. It was cool to see police work first hand and what the job exactly entails. I think law enforcement would be a rewarding career where I would learn a lot as well as get to help people and also have a little fun.

Next Steps

My goal for this year is to learn what it takes to be successful in law enforcement by meeting with officer Richards each week to gain valuable experience so I am able to see if this is the field I want to pursue after high school. By next Tuesday, I will have gone on my first ride-along with either my mentor Vince or another officer at the Danville Police Department. Yesterday I turned in my explorers application to the San Ramon Police Department so by next Tuesday I hope that I get set up with that program which I know will be a valuable experience.    

Haven't done much for the past couple weeks. Filled out some forms for the DPD ride-along program so that will be my next step.

Change

Iv'e come to realize that my mentor, Vince, is ideal for my situation and my interests because this year they seem to be changing frequently. My overall interest and intention for iQuest is to learn more about the emergency response field and to learn what it takes to be successful in it. Initially, I was going to pursue learning about the recording industry, but I knew it would be extremely challenging to make a successful career in that business. My interests started leaning towards the emergency medical technician field because iv'e always had a passion for helping people and making the community a safer place for others, but I now know that making a career out of being an EMT and even a paramedic is a real challenge because of how many other people are in the same field and how limited these fields are. My interests as of late have been in law enforcement and firefighting mainly because of how in both jobs you are putting your life on the line to protect others from any form of danger. I have always known that iv'e had a passion for helping others and serving others. Law enforcement has caught my interest for some time, so this year, with my mentor working for the Danville police department, is a perfect time to learn more about this career and see whether it will have a part in my future.       

iQuest Intention

Hello! I am currently in my senior year at San Ramon Valley High and I have the opportunity to take a class called iQuest. This class gives me the unique opportunity to meet with a mentor in my specific area of interest. In my case, it is the field of emergency response. EMT,  the police, and firefighter are all jobs that I am interested in because they all have the opportunity to save lives. This is the first step for me to possibly pursue a career in this field and I am really looking forward to this experience. My intention for taking this class is that I want to learn what it takes to be successful in the emergency response field. My mentor, Vince Richards, is a police officer with EMT training and is working at San Ramon Valley as the officer on campus. I'm really looking forward to this experience and the knowledge I will gain from it!