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| Haley Forbes |
Clare-Gladwin CTE Criminal Justice student Haley Forbes of
Beaverton graduated from the 38th Kiwanis Law Enforcement Career
Academy at the Michigan State Police Training Academy this summer in Lansing.
As one of 50 students who participated in the week-long camp led
by ten Michigan State Troopers, Forbes’ days began with physical training at 5
a.m., followed by a strict schedule allowing limited time to get ready, eat
breakfast, and attend classes covering a variety of topics, including the
canine team, first aid, defensive tactics, drug and alcohol patrols, the
forensics lab, and more.
Forbes also practiced water safety using the training tanks, rode in
the patrol cars with the troopers on the drive track, and shot rounds at the
shooting range. “At the drive track, the troopers were hitting speeds of up to
90 mph,” she said. “It was a heck of an adrenaline rush.”
Forbes’ knowledge and passion for criminal justice proved to be
beneficial as the troopers selected her as a Class Commander for the final two
days of the week, giving her the responsibility of leading her fellow cadets to
and from class, through the graduation ceremony, and ensuring they always
arrived at their destination on time. “It was scary, but exciting at the same
time,” she said. “I got to yell just like the troopers!”
Forbes credits the Clare-Gladwin Career and Technical Education (CTE) class for her success at the academy. “CTE
really put me at an advantage because, for the most part, I had an idea of what I
was doing,” she said. “I felt a lot more comfortable because I had learned so
much in CTE last year.”
Although Forbes is still discovering exactly what career she’d
like to eventually pursue in the criminal justice field, she said the academy gave
her a new respect for those in law enforcement. “As our class progressed
through the week, I learned a lot about what it takes to become a State
Trooper, and it takes all you have,” she said. “It’s truly unbelievable. I can
honestly say this job takes the most amazing men and women.”
Forbes will be attending Delta College in the fall of 2014 and
plans to get involved in the school’s criminal justice program.
Forbes encourages her peers to take part in a CTE class to gain
experience in a profession they may be interested in. “Most people think the
CTE Criminal Justice class is just for kids wanting to be police officers, but
you learn so much about all the different jobs within the field,” she said. “If
you don’t know what you want to do, CTE classes are great because they give you
an idea of what the job is really going to be like.”
Criminal Justice is one of nine career and technical education
(CTE) programs offered to local high school juniors and seniors at the
Clare-Gladwin Career Center, a program of Clare-Gladwin RESD. Students spend
half of their regular school day in CTE and the other half at their local high
school. For more information, please visit
www.cgresd.net.
During the event, students competed against their peers from
around the state in a physical agility contest in which they had to complete a half-mile shuttle run, a vertical jump, and as many as push-ups and sit-ups as
possible in one minute. Student Elaina Wolfe placed third among the female
participants and Tommy Nunnally placed third among the male participants.
The high school juniors and seniors also revealed their
understanding of the criminal justice field by taking part in knowledge-based
game called, “Survey Says.” The Clare-Gladwin team consisting of Ian
Hasenfratz, Hope Macklem, and Elaina Wolfe placed third.
Brad Gallagher 
Kyla Shannon
