The Criminal Justice Club held its first meeting of the semester on Tuesday, Feb. 6 in Bragan Hall.
The meeting saw participants listen to several guest speakers and club leadership speak about the world of criminal justice and what the Criminal Justice Club is all about.
Among the guest speakers was Texas Wesleyan alumni and city of Burleson motor police officer Tre Collard.
“I think any club on a college campus helps [because] you have a group you can affiliate with [full of] like-minded people,” Collard said.
The Criminal Justice Club is open to students of all majors. The club aims to provide students opportunities to network, meet professionals in the criminal justice field and gain hands-on experiences in the world of criminal justice. The club is directed by associate professor of criminal justice, Dr. Eddy Lynton.
“We want to create networking opportunities so that students can become increasingly more competitive when they graduate,” Lynton said.
The club is led by junior criminal justice majors Gino Martinez and Perla Mora who serve as president and vice president respectively.
“We just want to prepare people, to help other people,” Mora said.
The club’s participants range from those who have a mild interest in criminal justice to students who have already begun carving out a career in the field. Martinez is an aspiring police officer and lawyer.
“It’s an active group with people who are like-minded and have good values… who want be a part of something bigger than themselves and want to make a difference in their community,” Lynton said.
Senior criminal justice major Johvan Hall is another example of the experienced individuals who can be found in the Criminal Justice Club. He currently works as a detention officer for Tarrant County Sheriff’s Department.
“[The Criminal Justice Club] helps us learn and gain knowledge of what law enforcement does,” Hall said.
The club plans to host a variety of events this semester. Hosting speakers from the FBI Cadet Academy and visiting the Gainesville juvenile correctional facility are just a couple of events that members can look forward to.
“Last semester we kind of stayed on campus, this semester we’re going out and doing stuff,” Lynton said.
