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?

Lamontry Lott

Driver/Paramedic Dallas Fire-Rescue

“I’ve always had a passion for social services and work in the community. I’m a people person; I love to talk and help people. Now I’m working toward my associate degree in Fire Protection Technology, which will help with rank promotions within the fire department. It helps to maintain my knowledge on the job and makes me better at the job I already do.”

Fire Protection Technology

Sedrick King

Assistant Manager Criminal Division Dallas County Clerk

“If you want to become a paralegal professional, any advantage you can use against your competition in the workplace is fair game. Having Dallas College behind you and that degree on the wall is a wonderful way to start your career.”

Paralegal

LaTasha Maston

Correctional Officer Hutchins State Jail

“And my advice for working and going back to school If you’re going to work full-time and go back to school, always have a good support system in place – it makes it all easier. When you have a dream or a goal, press for it. Don’t just put it on the back burner.”

Criminal Justice

Karen Kenebrew

Writer and mediator

“The program not only fulfilled my CE requirements but also motivated me to seek postgraduate degrees in alternative dispute resolution/conflict resolution. The instructors have a wealth of experience and are passionate about the industry, which translates well in the classroom and adds to the learning experience.”

Conflict Management

Joyce Jones

Assistant Executive Director Dispute Mediation Services

“My experience at community college taught me baby steps, which led to giant steps. Not everybody can succeed at first in a four-year university. My best advice is to stay focused. Anybody can get off track, but try to find your way back. I did.”

Criminal Justice

John Tinsley

Patrol Officer Rockwall Police Department

“It was a good experience to have officers with experience tell us how it was going to be on the street. I loved my time at the police academy. Sometimes my friends and I joke that if they told us we had to be back at the academy tomorrow, we’d all show up at 8 a.m. and be happy to be there.”

Criminal Justice

Giovanna Salazar

Dallas College student and hopeful future border patrol officer

“I like that my professors don’t just have academic knowledge but have a working background in all different fields. It brings more interest to our classes and we get to have a much better idea of what we’ll be up against in the future in our careers.”

Criminal Justice

Gerrye Anderson

Campus Police Officer Eastfield

“If you’re interested in police work, I’d recommend the Criminal Justice Training Center and Criminal Justice degree program. They’re going to make sure you’ve got the background to go out and get a good job.”

Criminal Justice

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

View Additional Student Experiences

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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.