Taking on the challenge of studying at two different school, senior Jennifer Rubin fulfills her wish of becoming a police officer.
“Since this is what I want to do as an adult, it’s a very practical alternative to being at a ‘normal’ school the whole day,” Rubin said.
Rubin, who has been involved with law enforcement since she was ten years old is now studying Law Enforcement and Homeland Security at South County Technical High School.
“Tech school is very different from regular school,” Rubin said. “I spend two and a half hours every single day in the same classroom. We don’t have passing period, we don’t have lunch and we only have one class.”
Last year the students at South Tech focused on Law enforcement. They practice self defense tactics on the wrestling mat, pull each other over in the police cars, and write reports.
“It’s definitely different than Parkway Central,” senior Lachele Pearson said.
South Tech is designed to train students in special fields.
“I think it works best for those who are pretty sure about what they want to do,” senior Molli Bonini said.
This year the focus is on Homeland Security, which consists of a terrorism unit, a Corrections, or prison, unit, and an emergency communications unit. The students will also take a field trip to a prison.
“It’s definitely a different group of students than at Parkway Central,” Rubin said. “We all come from different schools but we all get along because of having a same interest in law enforcement.”
The class is taught by former St. Louis and Maryland Police Officer.
“You would think being in the same classroom for two and a half hours everyday would get boring, but with him it really doesn’t,” Rubin said. “And since he was a police officer, he’s able to tell us stories about the topics we are learning about and it gives us real world examples.”
Rubin’s goal is is to be a police officer in drug prevention or drug enforcement unit. She is currently working with D.A.R.E. on an international level, which involves traveling around the country training in all aspects including drugs and shooting.
“I’ve grown up with the Chesterfield Police Department,” Rubin said. “I went through D.A.R.E., I’ve worked on community events with them, I’m a police explorer with them and now I want to do what they do.”
