Dallas College

Student Experience: Dale O. Taylor

“I’ll always be a minister; that’s my life’s calling. But I’m able to use my criminal justice courses in my ministry right now — what I’ve learned about law and the justice system has been a great benefit to me. I may also use my courses as a springboard to study law in the future. For the last 30 years, I’ve said I was going to go back to school and my wife said it was finally time to make good on that. 

“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. Believe it or not, one of my most enlightening classes has been Humanities. It taught me a whole new way to look at things from a different angle, to examine things more closely and realize that there’s more than one way to perceive something. And all my Criminal Justice professors have had experience in the real world. 

“To my way of thinking, life is meant to be progressive. When it stops being progressive, you get stagnant. Whatever your age, you should never stop growing, learning and expanding your knowledge — it helps you stay sharp and interesting. It also helps you look at life with a large degree of balance and not just from one perspective. Whatever you’re interested in, become at the best at what you can be.” 

Dale Taylor is earning an Associate in Arts degree with a field of study in Criminal Justice. He also holds a bachelor’s degree in theology from East Texas Bible College in Tyler, Texas. An ordained non-denominational minister, he works with independent churches.


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Karen Kenebrew

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

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

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

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
Dale Taylor
Dale O. Taylor
Dallas College student and minister
Criminal Justice
School of Law and Public Service
Updated September 10, 2026