In my previous article, I discussed some of the hate that has been directed towards law enforcement recently, more commonly towards police officers.

I then went on to share what my police officers are doing to better benefit today’s youth. This article is going to run hand in hand with that article and the overall theme, except I am going to jump right in and just get to the point.

I love my officers so dearly!

They have molded me, as well as many other cadets, into self disciplined, law abiding, respectful, strong, and determined citizens. They are turning us into young adults with integrity, motivation, honesty.

They are saving lives from going down hill, and giving us a purpose, something to look forward too. They are giving us structure and discipline in a fun and experimental way. They give us a reason to get up at 6:45 am, and to head to bed early to start it all over in the morning.

They make me proud to want to pursue law enforcement as a vocation. They make me feel as if I can actually belong within a group of people. They make me feel optimistic and motivated, for I know that each and every one of us struggle to get through the days and the emotional and physical exhaustion.

My officers make me feel invincible, and one thing that one of my officers chanted was “unstoppable” as I ran after I started to recover from a nasty fall straight on my back, and I just remember smiling and thinking how amazing it feels to have the little things, such as getting back up for another try, being noticed by others around me.

I remember how another one of my officers had told us earlier on about how we all are products of love, and that no one here is a mistake. He then continued on to say that we have a purpose and that times will get tough, but that is when you will begin to rely on your team to lift you up until you can regain your composure.

I see a group of teens, including me, giving up 10 days of our summer, 7:45 a.m. until 4 p.m., for the mere fact that at the end of this program, we will have a sense of accomplishment and pride knowing that we are much more capable than we ever thought we were. We will graduate this program, me for the second year in a row, knowing that we gave our all, and that we have a newfound passion and integrity.

Not only have we gained self confidence, self discipline, strength, leadership, and oh so much more, but we have gained knowledge of law enforcement vocations that are available and how we can someday be a part of it. They give us resources, and connections, that could later benefit us on our career path whether it be in social working, internal affairs, or what else you could possibly dream of doing.