Senior Spotlight: Delanie Kent ’20 (criminal justice)
While the spring semester has been impacted greatly by the coronavirus pandemic, many Greyhound seniors are putting a ‘cap’ on their UIndy careers before the conferral of their diplomas this summer. Please enjoy the entries in this year’s “Senior Spotlight” series, as we celebrate these soon-to-be Greyhound graduates.
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“UIndy has shown me what I’m capable of,” says Delanie Kent ’20 (criminal justice). Kent has kept herself busy during her four years at UIndy, being an active participant in the criminal justice program while also participating in extra-curricular activities and volunteering her time coaching volleyball and working multiple jobs.
A lesson she learned early on was to leave no opportunity unexplored. “Freshmen should go all in. Utilize the resources given to you: tutoring labs, RAs, faculty and staff, ProEdge, and so much more. Show up to events. Go to hall meetings,” she said. “You’ll make new friends that will last you a lifetime.”
Kent, who has a case management job lined up after graduation, hopes to put her degree, which has a concentration in corrections, to work at a police department as a K-9 officer, or potentially get into administration at a prison or jail. Her experience in the criminal justice department at UIndy opened her eyes to the career possibilities.
“The program has been incredible,” she said. “We have a crime scene lab that gives all criminal justice students a hands-on experience with solving crimes.”
Like many UIndy students, one of the standout qualities about her time at UIndy is her experience working with faculty. “Our professors are always willing to talk with us, tell us their opinion, and help us in any way we may need, as well as give us resources to help ourselves,” she said. “The program has helped connect me with professionals and opened my eyes to the different career paths I am capable of pursuing.”
Kent was an active member of Alpha Phi Sigma, the criminal justice national honor society. She served as both secretary and president during her time at UIndy. “We put on successful events, such as ‘K-9s on Campus,’ which helped connect me with professionals and community leaders and helped us all find ways how we can try to impact the community,” she said.
Kent also took on a challenging internship with the Marion County Juvenile Detention Center (MCJDC). “I learned about the procedures and how to deal with residents of the juvenile detention center, but also how to understand them from an emotional and psychological side,” said Kent, who will also graduate with a minor in psychology.
Her time at the MCJDC helped her discover a passion for helping juveniles and also taught her valuable life lessons. “Everyone can flourish depending on the resources and support that they have,” she said. “This also strengthened my patience and understanding of the issues we have in our own neighborhood”
Kent leaves UIndy as a person with a purpose. Her education during her time at UIndy, both inside the classroom and out, helped her discover her passions and set her off on a path to use that education to serve her community.
“I have found the woman I want to be in this lifetime because of how I was pushed, and shown by the faculty and staff what I can accomplish,” she said. “UIndy is full of opportunities, and people with the desire to push you to success.
Learn more about the criminal justice program at the University of Indianapolis.