Senior Interns with Local Police Department

Senior Interns with Local Police Department

Marley Bickley ’22

Taylor Ward, a senior psychology major from Mission Viejo, California, is spending her final year at PC interning for the Laurens County Police Department in order to gain firsthand experience in law enforcement and learn more about her future career path.

“I chose this internship because I am interested in going into law enforcement, eventually something along the lines of behavioral analysis,” Taylor said.

“I intend on going to graduate school for my master’s in criminology/criminal justice, and Lynn Downie offered this internship as a good starting place for some experience and to put a foot in the door.”

Irreplaceable Experience

Taylor’s internship has involved ride-alongs with various Laurens County officers that allow her to see what life is like for law enforcement personnel. Getting to spend this time with the police force has given her an opportunity to learn more about the kind of calls police might receive, as well as the proper protocol in handling different types of situations.

“I genuinely enjoy the amount of knowledge I have gained from each officer I have ridden with,” Taylor said. “Each officer has a different background, skill set, and experience level, so I learn something new every time I ride with someone else.”

Learning Beyond the Classroom

Taylor has been able to witness and understand more about the field of law enforcement since starting her internship. Being able to actually work with officers one on one gives her knowledge that cannot simply be learned in the classroom, showing how important and impactful internship experience is for students.

“Being an intern for the Laurens Police Department has confirmed my feelings about wanting to go into law enforcement,” she said. “Although I’m still not entirely sure where I want to start, this internship has been an immense help in giving me an idea about where I want to be.”

Learn More

To learn more about internship opportunities like Taylor’s, please visit our Internships page.