Angel Gallien

Alyssa Ambrosino

Concentration

Social Justice

Internship

Hope Works, Burlington, VT

Post-Grad Plans

Vermont Police Academy

What is it about your major/area of study that appeals to you?

I have always had passion and drive to help people and make a difference in the community. I am planning to become a police officer because I feel like that is where I can do the most good and make a positive impact on the community. For me, being a police officer isn’t all about arresting the “bad guys.” I want to be an advocate for victims of crime, connect people to the resources they need to be successful, and problem solve and de-escalate potentially dangerous situations.Champlain focuses on teaching students to listen to all of the facts, assess a situation, and problem solve. At Champlain, there is a lot of emphasis on communicating with faculty and staff, classmates, and peers. There is also emphasis on being a community. I feel like I am working with my classmates, rather than competing against them.

What projects have you worked on in classes that you’ve found particularly rewarding/useful?

I had to interview a “suspect” as my final exam in Investigative Interviewing. We had to apply what we learned throughout the semester and interview the professor, who played the person suspected of committing a crime. It was a unique experience and also useful because, as a police officer, I will be interviewing multiple people who are suspects, witnesses, victims, and others.

What extracurricular activities are you involved in?

I am the captain of the Women’s Rugby Team with one of my closest friends. As the captain, I have the unique opportunity to be a leader and teach new players about rugby while also expanding my knowledge. We practice twice a week, and I am always excited to go to practice and see everyone. It’s a great way to make new friends and stay active. I have so many lifelong friends because of our shared passion for rugby and our team.

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Blaz Mihaljevic

Internship

Contracting Specialist Intern with Homeland Security in Williston, VT

What appealed to you most about being a Criminal Justice major?

Being a Criminal Justice major is great because, right now in America, everything is changing. We need properly trained officers and law enforcement officials. And that really appealed to me: to be a beacon of change in this new development of law enforcement. It inspired me to choose Criminal Justice.

What was one of your favorite Criminal Justice classes you took?

In my first year, I was taking a criminal law class with Judge Cooper Smith, who was a judge here in Burlington for 25 years. He really helped us examine the law through an officer’s lens. He even took us down to the courthouse for a few hours each week and let us examine case files. We are really exposed to our field through our classes.

How has Champlain’s Career Collaborative helped you with your career?

I went to the Career Fair five times while at Champlain—that’s how I got my first internship. It was a great way to get started on my career and get me connected to my industry. Champlain’s Career Collaborative also did a great job preparing me for interviews, writing résumés, and learning how to apply for government positions.

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Logan Rice

Favorite Class

Criminal Law

Post-Grad Job

Client Advisor at Stevens Ford Lincoln in Milford, CT

How did the Upside-Down Curriculum impact your education?

With the Upside-Down Curriculum, you’re jumping into your major-related classes right away. In my first year, I also went on a ride-along with a Vermont State Police officer. It was amazing to see another side of law enforcement—the human side you don’t often see through the media.
One of the biggest things I’ve learned about criminal justice is human interaction. You can read about being in a squad car and pulling people over, but it’s the area between the actual law and the connection to that person that matters. Champlain professors have real experience, and they can help you understand what being in that moment is like in a way a textbook can’t.

What is it like being a student in the Division of Education & Human Studies Division (EHS)?

We get to know people in the division through the EHS Signature Courses, which allow students from across majors to engage in topics. This semester, we’re talking about human trafficking. We get a psychology perspective, for example, in addition to criminal justice. It’s very interesting because you get contradicting opinions, and it broadens your view on global subjects.

You were the President of the Student Government Association (SGA). How was that experience?

Becoming SGA President my junior year is a great point of pride for me. The work we did and the tasks we undertook were truly a passion of mine. For example, we executed a project—the Rainbow Crosswalk—where we painted the crosswalk on South Willard Street the colors of the rainbow in honor of our LGBTQA+ community. The work we do truly can make a difference on campus.

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Liza Ryan

Majors

Social Work & Criminal Justice

Travel Course

Jordan

Internship

Burlington Police Department in Burlington, VT

Favorite Class

Differently Abled

What is the best part of the Social Work program?

Social Work is one of the smallest programs at Champlain, and I love it. The small classes are extremely beneficial because we can go through real-world experiences and ask any questions we have. We are also encouraged to go into the field early and often. My third year, I took a job in the Emergency Department at the University of Vermont Medical Center doing crisis work, and I already felt prepared at that point.

You have a really unique internship. Can you tell us about that?

I’m interning at the Burlington Police Department for my whole senior year. I have mostly focused on creative narratives for our bi-weekly “substat” meetings where we discuss any incidents we’ve had with individuals involved with substance use or serious mental health challenges. The goal of these meetings is to identify those in our community who need help, and then do outreach to gauge their interest in treatment, but also to let them know we’re here, we care about them, and we want them to succeed.My internship has given me lots of opportunities to see how law enforcement and social work go hand in hand.

What is the best thing about living on campus?

I may be biased because I’m an RA, but the sense of community in the first year residence halls is the best. I’m still friends with people I lived with my first year, and again as an RA of that same hall when I was a junior. I hang out with my residents, and they come cheer me on at hockey games.

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