Well…here it is…the evening before graduation. I am still in shock and yet I am so excited. I can’t believe that I did it and that the entire class (all 41) made it. It is a moment we have all waited for and now it is less then 24 hours away.
First, I would like to say to my classmates…congratulations. It has not been easy. We have overcome some really tough days and A LOT of training. I can still remember the first couple of weeks…sitting through all the law classes and figuring out how to read the “Blue Book”. Those were some daunting days and I didn’t think they would ever end. Now you can ask anyone of us about…let’s say…the difference between 1st and 2nd degree assault…and we can give you the elements of the crime and how to fill out the forms. (Especially 1st and 2nd degree burns…that’s a little inside joke)
You could take anyone of us to the firing range, give us a gun and we will confidently hit the targets. We can all defend ourselves in a fight. We can fight through O.C. spray. We can safely drive a patrol car and feel confident and comfortable with ourselves and the car’s abilities. We can direct traffic, conduct a vehicle search, a building search and even secure a crime scene. How about some PT? Because we can do that too. We have done it all and we have done it together.
Class 2009-1, has a lot of different personalities and a lot of diversity. Each and every one of us had some experience and knowledge to bring to the table. I have learned at least one thing from every single person in this class. It is a great feeling to have come so far and to graduate with every person we started with. It is unusual with such a large group, that we didn’t lose a single person.
I want to talk about an exercise we did today, that was interesting and it had people come out of their comfort zones. It was a team building exercise that forced us to dig deep into our emotions (not easy for most people to do, especially this group). We had to reveal how we felt about the police organizations we work for and about a topic we are really passionate about. The best part…we were on our feet, clapping and yelling encouragements to each other. It was cool to see what each person felt and what drives them to put the uniform on every day. I am just sad that it took until today (Week 20, day 4) to hear that about each other.
Graduation day for me will be a beautiful ending to 5 ½ months of sacrifice and hard work. But it’s also the beginning of a new way of life. A new profession that I am proud to be a part of and I look forward to working with my fellow classmates (my new family). I have asked my sister to pin my badge on my uniform during the ceremony tomorrow. My family has been a there for me and has supported me through this adventure. I am looking forward to my family getting to meet my new family…the Deputies of Jefferson County Sheriff Department.
CLASS 2009-1…Congratulations…WE DID IT!!!
The "Right of Passage" run up Lookout Mountain
Up the hill, with Golden in the background
Here we come with a Police escort
Here we are at the top
Deputy Johnson and Deputy Hoffman pushed out 41 push-ups (1 for each of us that passed the POST exam)
This is a "Perfect" place for Deputy Johnson (just kidding, he knows we appreciate all he has done for us)
