The Catholic College of the South
In April, three Belmont Abbey College graduates joined the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department. Luis Mena ’23, Lily Contreras ’23, and Christina Osmera ’21 started the academy in October of 2023, completed over 900 hours of training, and officially joined the CMPD in April with Dr. Julia Beeman, Chair of the Criminal Justice program at the Abbey, present to share in their accomplishment.
Congratulations to these three honorable officers now serving Charlotte-Mecklenburg!
The Sgt. J.J. Sturm Memorial Scholarship was created in memory of J.J. Sturm, a retired sergeant from the Greensboro, N.C. Police Department at the time of his death in 2019. Sgt. Sturm’s career spanned 28 years, some of which he shared with his son. Their commitment to Catholic education and the law enforcement profession helped create this scholarship.
This year’s scholarship award recipient was Meghan Tropeano, a rising senior at Belmont Abbey. Majoring in Criminal Justice with a minor in history, Meghan shares, “I believe a greater understanding of history, especially American history, lends itself to a better perspective on the present and the future, especially as it relates to law enforcement.” She’s enjoyed the personal connections she made with the Criminal Justice professors and classmates during her time here.
Joshua Sturm, J.J. Sturm’s son, shares, “This scholarship allowed me to take a tragedy that I still struggle with and turn it into what my father would do: Teach and Give Back. Dr. Beeman was instrumental in my life and the path I took. Our relationship did not end when I took every possible class she taught, and in kind, she never stopped teaching me. When I lost my father, I was searching for something to memorialize him and to do him justice. I looked again to Dr. Beeman, and we came up with this scholarship.”
He continues, “For me, I like to uphold the Shield of law enforcement like the Knights of old. With our Oath and under what authority we serve represented on our shield, today’s badges can be forged with training and education to the point of exhaustion. However, if that mind and heart are not also forged in good, then it is of no use. Catholic education mirrors this mindset in so many ways.
Every day a Police officer answers the call to serve in the battle of Good vs. Evil drawing upon every tool, class, teaching, and those that came before them for strength, courage, humility, and grace. I hope each student that receives it treats it as motivation to continue to honor their fellow human, their school, their family, and God. To paraphrase from the Prayer to St. Michael:
Through their service, which earned this scholarship, may ‘they shine with excellence and superhuman virtue to deliver us from all evil.’ May classmates, professors, and families ‘turn to them with confidence.’ Finally, may they never stop learning in order ‘to serve God more and more faithfully every day.’”
Learn more about the Abbey’s Criminal Justice Department.
In April 2023, Belmont Abbey College students participated in the 2nd Annual Undergraduate Research Conference. Click here for a complete list of participants.
Criminal Justice Major, Anna Li, presented her research on the topic, Mental Health Treatment in Correctional Institutions. See her full presentation below.
Author: The Crusader Staff Writer, Anna Li
Have you ever wanted to be a police officer? an investigator? a lawyer? If so, you may want to major in criminal justice. The Criminal Justice program at Belmont Abbey College has been running since August of 2006. Their duty is to educate students about America’s criminal justice system and criminal behavior with the help of experienced professors. All professors have experience in criminal justice and help students see crime from different perspectives, including psychology, biology, and theology.
The Criminal Justice program began with the first Program director, Julia Beeman, PhD, who joined BAC in 2006. The program soon grew into a separate department in 2010. According to Dr. Beeman, this program stands out because “Every faculty member, in addition to being well credentialed academically, are all former practitioners. This helps students learn how theory and philosophy of the justice system are actually applied in law enforcement, courts, and corrections.”
When asked the question, “What do you think is special about the BAC Criminal Justice Department?” a professor that rejoined the school full-time in the fall of 2022, Ann Gleason J.D. answered, “Everyone in the department has actually worked in the criminal justice system. We have had prosecutors, defense attorneys, judges, and law enforcement practitioners.” It shows the experience and value that all professors in the department have. It might be appealing to students who are considering this major; it certainly was for me when I was choosing the place to obtain my criminal justice degree.
On the path to graduating, there are opportunities for hands-on experience in different areas of work, related to the criminal justice field. These could also be extra advantageous as some could count for academic credit. There is a double benefit to this: the ability to test received knowledge as well as to assess and experience the framework of possible career paths. A few internship opportunities include the ability to work in local police departments. Moreover, it is also possible to complete an internship in different places that are more related to a student’s career choice. They can work with career advisors on campus to find the most fitting placement.
The Criminal Justice degree offers many different paths for the future. Potential job positions include: police officer, criminal investigator, forensic science technician, forensic accountant, and many more. This degree also provides opportunities to go to law school, if desired, with a good background of the criminal justice system in America.
A student graduating in Criminal Justice this upcoming May, with the goal of becoming a fraud investigator, Ashton Lunsford, answered the same question about what she thinks makes the program special. She said, “I really like that all the professors practiced their knowledge in the field. All of them are able to share useful knowledge and personal experiences as well as guide students through different perspectives.”
If criminal justice is your passion, you should consider joining the program!
This article was originally posted in the Spring of 2023, Issue 1 of The Crusader Newspaper. Download the full issue here.
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