Growth in a Law Enforcement Career – Kenedra Smith

“My current position is as a sergeant with the Henderson Police Department. A typical day in law enforcement is very busy. Henderson has the call volume of a huge agency even though we’re a small town.

I was already on a career path in law enforcement when I got into Meredith’s Master of Criminal Justice program. I chose Meredith because of the positive feedback I received from alumni. I also like the way the criminal justice program faculty and staff communicated.

The program helped me look at situations from different perspectives than what I had seen in my career. It also helped me grow to use my voice. Although I was working in law enforcement and had spoken in a courtroom, I was still shy to speak in front of a group of people. I was given the chance to speak at graduation to introduce Pitt County Sheriff Paula Dance, the first African-American female sheriff in North Carolina history.

My favorite strength is being able to adapt to anything. It impacts my professional career being that we deal with citizens from different types of life. At Meredith, I developed this strength by communicating with a diverse group of people in the online classes.”