“I’m excited to get my career rolling,” said TSC Police Academy Cadet Lorenzo Medina. “Bonding with all these guys for the past few months has been special. We went through some tough times, but we made it through.”
“Now, I can start applying to different local and state agencies,” he added. “I want to work my way up to the federal ranks.”
The ceremony commemorated the fourth graduating class from TSC’s Police Academy and the 61st graduating class in Criminal Justice Instructor Maz MartÃnez’s career.
“Every graduation is very special to me because it’s a culmination of our efforts and I always appreciate the fact that we celebrate the accomplishment of our students,” said MartÃnez. “Watching these cadets grow and develop has been one of my favorite moments, from being ordinary civilians to taking it to a level of behavior that one expects of police officers.”
Through TSC’s Police Academy, the cadets underwent a six-month, 820-hour long Basic Peace Officer training course, including physical training that prepared them for the Texas Peace Officer Licensing Exam.
“This was a very special occasion because we celebrated the graduation of our Police Academy Cadets and that means that now more individuals are going to be available to go out and protect and serve our communities, and we’re very excited about that,” said Dr. Lily F. Tercero, TSC president. “Going through a process such as this is intense. It’s difficult, challenging and you may have to do this while you have a family. It takes a lot of courage, determination and focus. It’s an amazing accomplishment and we at TSC are proud of them. We know that they will go out and do well for the communities that they serve and represent the college in an amazing way.”
About Texas Southmost College
Originally established in 1926, Texas Southmost College currently offers the first two years toward a bachelor’s degree, along with career and technical education leading to certificates and associate degrees, college preparatory studies to prepare students for college-level work, workforce training, and continuing education. Recently selected as a Bright Spot by the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics, TSC offers 53 programs of study leading to an associate degree or certificate. TSC became independently operational in the fall of 2013, after engaging in a 20-year contractual arrangement with a public university.