Class 12 of College of Western Idaho’s (CWI) Law Enforcement program was honored during a ceremony Wednesday, May 10, at the Nampa Civic Center.
Program Director, LeRoy Forsman, began the evening by welcoming in Nampa Police Department Pipes and Drums and graduates into the ceremony and leading the Pledge of Allegiance. Forsman then shared his appreciation to program leadership, staff, and instructors, past and present, for making the program such a success.
Following Forsman’s welcome, graduates and guests heard from CWI Provost Denise Aberle-Cannata, who applauded the students’ dedication, hard work, and commitment that got them to this moment.
“Before I came here, I looked up Merriam-Webster Dictionary’s definition of ‘Hero,’” said Aberle-Cannata. “It’s a person noted for courageous act or nobility of character. I would say everyone sitting here today meets that definition.”
Forsman approached the podium again to celebrate the students’ success and academic achievement over the last year. He shared words of encouragement and reminded students things do not always go the way people think they should or the way people plan for them to go — that is just the average day of being a police officer.
“The big lesson that you may or may not fully appreciate yet is the importance of flexibility and adaptability,” Forsman said. “This will be a critical piece in your policing career. Many of you have learned that you will need to continue learning to be thicker-skinned, but I implore you to achieve that without sacrificing even the slightest bit of humanity.”
Graduates were presented with completion certificates, challenge coins, and awards for top achievements:
- Top Shooter – Holland Ahern
- Top Driver – Travis McQueary
- Top Academic – Alexandra Crane
Forsman then led the graduates through the Law Enforcement Code of Ethics, which ensures that all peace officers are fully aware of their individual responsibilities to maintain their own integrity, and that of their agency.
At the time of the Law Enforcement Ceremony, 11 out of 15 of Class 12’s students were either hired or in the process of being hired with several agencies around the Treasure Valley, such as Caldwell Police Department, Garden City Police Department, Mountain Home Police Department, Parma Police Department, Ada County Sheriff’s Office, Lincoln County Sheriff's Office, Payette County Sheriff’s Office, and the Idaho Department of Corrections.
To conclude the ceremony, Forsman left graduates with one more thought.
“We talk about the three E’s: ethics, empathy, and energy, and now I’ll leave you with the three ‘Be’s.’ First of all, be smart. Be smart with your life, your training, your career, your money, your love. Be smart and make good choices. Second, be courageous. Although you’ll be dealing with difficult situations — do the right thing every time, and you’ll be fine. Ultimately it might be an unpopular decision that you make, but you will have to face yourself every morning in the mirror. Third and above all, the biggest ‘Be’ is just to be nice. Take care of each other. How much better would this world be if we treated each other just a little bit better, just a little bit nicer? Congratulations, Class 12. Welcome to the family, you’re dismissed.”
WATCH: 2023 Law Enforcement Ceremony
Applications for the Fall 2023 Law Enforcement program are now open through June 30. Entry into this program is highly competitive, and a limited number of spots are available. To apply for the program, please visit the Law Enforcement program page. For those with questions or in need of more information, please contact LeRoy Forsman at leroyforsman@cwi.edu.
