School of Law and Public Service Student Experiences
No matter where these current or former students are in the process of reaching their goals, we salute them. They have dared to turn dreams into reality through education in the School of Law and Public Service. Could you be next?
Ellie Pope
Legal Secretary
Dallas Volunteer Attorney Program
“I would definitely recommend El Centro’s Paralegal program. The outlook for becoming a paralegal is very bright — there are so many options and ways to go.”
Paralegal
Elijah Jackson
Recent Dallas College graduate
““I told my mother and my grandmother that I was going to be a police officer. And it’s still here. I want to serve and protect.””
Criminal Justice
Dean Dickens, Ph.D.
Coordinator of Field Missionary Teams
Cooperative Baptist Fellowship
“I was impressed with the quality of teaching at El Centro and found when I walked away from the Conflict Management program that I had all the skills I needed to feel competent.”
Conflict Management
Daniel Habtemariam
Paralegal Studies graduate
“My long-term goal is to go to law school. That has always been my dream, from childhood. But they told me I had to speak good English to become a lawyer and that I might not make it. Let me tell you something: as long as I have the guts to learn and to go to school, I can do it. I know that I will do it.”
Paralegal
Dale O. Taylor
Dallas College student and minister
“My experience at Dallas College has been great. The difference in college now and 30 years ago is amazing — when I graduated from college, we didn’t have laptops or cell phones. And all my Criminal Justice professors have had experience in the real world.”
Criminal Justice
Constance Lacy, Ph.D., LCSW
Senior Lecturer
Human Services, Management and Leadership
UNT Dallas
“When I started my associate degree, I was a single parent with two kids looking for a way to move forward in my life and my career. Who would have thought that 10 years later, I’d have a Ph.D. and be a university professor? Without the foundation I got in this program, I wouldn’t be here.”
Social Work
Chase Gravis
Cedar Valley student and hopeful future attorney
“My experience at Cedar Valley has been fantastic. I like the teacher-to-student ratio because you get to know the teachers and they work with you; that’s a huge benefit. I’m glad I started out at community college. Besides, you save a ton of money.”
Criminal Justice
Charles Howard
Attorney and mediator with solo practice
“On the surface, mediation appealed to me because as a general rule, I’m a conciliator who enjoys bringing people together. Then I realized that I could also do this professionally, as well as satisfy my own instincts about interpersonal relationships and how people deal with each other.”
Conflict Management
Bobby Zito
Lieutenant
North Lake Campus Police
“Most of my fellow students in the police academy were career-changers like me. The difficult part was getting back to studying and retaining information, and I had to work extremely hard in the beginning. But it was worth it because I love what I’m doing.”
Criminal Justice
Bobby Carter
DART Police Officer
“I’ve had a fantastic experience in the Criminal Justice program at Cedar Valley; SaRita Stewart is an outstanding teacher. Even though I already had a related job, things here are in depth; the theories and terminology have helped me simplify some things on the job.”
Criminal Justice
Bob Miller
Early retiree and career changer
“One of the best things that I realized as I took Conflict Management courses is that what I had learned informally on the job was pretty much correct. There’s just so much more to it — and I wanted to take the opportunity to extend my knowledge and get formal training.”
Conflict Management
Bill “Doc” Lowden
Reserve police officer, Milford Police Department
“What I like about law enforcement is that no day is the same as another. There is constant interaction with various people and cultures and that’s what makes it both so interesting and so challenging.”
Criminal Justice
Veronica Alejandro
Dallas College student and hopeful future police officer
“I want every day to be a new challenge and I want to help people – but not from behind a desk. My criminology classes have all been good and I like the life experience my professors bring to the classroom.”
Criminal Justice
Sheila Grace, M.S., LPCI
Counselor
Gateway Foundation In-Prison Treatment Center
Brownwood
“How did I get to Eastfield’s Substance Abuse program? To be honest, I was in recovery myself. When I got to Eastfield, I did not even know what a semester hour was — I just knew I wanted to do something that would help someone else escape the horrors of addiction.”
Social Work
Leonard Garcia
Check processor with a major mortgage company
“I apply my conflict management skills in all aspects of my daily life: in the workplace with my co-workers, at home with family and in most social environments.”
Conflict Management
Vonda Bailey
Judge, Dallas County 255th Family District Court
“Along the way, we all get discouraged and might say, ‘Maybe I’m not worthy enough to go to law school.’ Well, I would want people to read my story and see, you know what, I can do this. I can get it done.”
Core Curriculum
S. Kristine Farmer
Employment Litigation Case Manager
Fish and Richardson, PC
“My paralegal classes really gave me the fundamental foundation of what it means to be a paralegal. I had always been the only paralegal in a small law firm and I got a much better understanding of how paralegals are utilized in much larger firms. I got a lot of practical information, particularly in legal research and writing, on how to write persuasively. The overall quality of instruction was really just exceptional.”
Paralegal
Itza V. Murguia
Dallas College student and hopeful future police officer
“My kids keep me motivated and keep me going. Now, they are seeing first-hand that you can achieve your goals and dreams no matter how old you are. I want my three daughters to know they can support themselves without depending on anyone else.”
Criminal Justice
Shape the Future. Serve Your Community. Start at Dallas College.
The School of Law and Public Service at Dallas College is where passion meets purpose.
Whether you're driven to uphold justice, advocate for others, or lead in public service, our programs are designed to prepare you for meaningful careers in criminal justice, paralegal studies, public administration and social work.
At Dallas College, you’ll gain hands-on experience, learn from industry professionals, and build the skills for a rewarding career. With flexible learning options, affordable tuition, and strong transfer pathways, we make it easier than ever to start or advance your career.