The first two graduates聽of the HBU Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice program聽are聽as聽special聽as the program itself. In聽December 2017,聽Monica Vargas and Gino Manguino crossed the stage to receive the degree. Dr. Craig Ferrell, coordinator of the Criminal Justice program,聽was like a proud parent聽looking on.
Vargas聽is a grandmother of two who聽planned for years to get a degree聽before she was聽finally able to attend聽college. Manguino is a U.S. Army veteran who聽initially聽didn鈥檛聽know what聽to do聽next after completing his military tenure.聽Both of them became the first to complete the HBU track, and聽to be prepared for a career by an all-star聽team of professors.
Ferrell has聽had聽an expansive career; he served as a Houston Police Department officer, a detective, and聽as聽a聽member of the police department鈥檚 command staff as a deputy director and general counsel for the last 20 years of his career.聽He was聽an executive board member for the Major Cities Chiefs Police聽Association, and聽helped provide training for law enforcement professionals聽throughout the largest cities in the United States and Canada.
In addition to all of his professional involvements, he聽taught at Sam Houston State University.聽Carrying decades of experience and a聽multitude聽of accomplishments,聽Ferrell came to聽Houston Baptist University to help ensure that聽upcoming聽law and justice professionals would be聽highly聽qualified聽for聽their fields of practice.
鈥淪tudents who get their degrees聽from HBU will have a strong ethical foundation to make exceptional police officers, judges, correctional officers, attorneys, border patrol agents聽and聽even counselors for crime victims,鈥� Ferrell said. 鈥淎 lot of people don鈥檛 realize just how diverse the field is, ranging from a local to federal level.聽There are so many potential jobs in the criminal justice field.鈥�
Coming from a larger university to HBU, the smaller environment provides new opportunities for聽learning,聽Ferrell聽said. 鈥淚n the past, I鈥檇 have an auditorium with 150 students,鈥� he said.聽鈥淗ere,聽I have a classroom with 30. There are greater interactions with students.鈥�
Faculty members are second-to-none, Manguino said. 鈥淔or example,聽Dr. Ferrell is a former Houston police officer and an advisor for the聽HPD. Dr.聽John聽Tyler is a well-known attorney who practiced in civil law and commercial law.聽Dr.聽Marie聽Mater聽has spent her professional career as an educator, paralegal and speech writer. The professors in the department are not only knowledgeable聽in the subject matter, but are seasoned veterans of their聽areas of expertise,鈥澛爃e said.
In addition to聽stellar professors, the department brings in guest speakers with specialties in law,聽government and聽law enforcement. 鈥淭he聽opportunity to hear guest speakers allows students to gain a first-hand perspective of what day-to-day life is like for each聽occupation,鈥� Manguino said. 鈥淚t gives students with an interest in the profession the聽chance聽to ask the speaker questions about聽it.鈥�
A theme throughout the curriculum is聽Luke 6:31: 鈥淒o聽unto others as you would have them do聽unto you.鈥� Ferrell said, 鈥淚 call it the 鈥楪olden Training Nugget.鈥� Even if they make a聽mistake聽during their career, they鈥檒l know they have always acted with the belief that what they did was lawful and proper.鈥�
The 鈥淕olden Training Nugget鈥� was one of the most memorable aspects of Vargas鈥檚 educational experience. 鈥淚 will share and practice all that I have been given here at HBU,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 will continue to inspire as I was inspired,聽and to light the path lit for me. There is no better place to obtain an education both of mind and of spirit.鈥�
It is the combination of ethical principles and real-world application with distinguished professionals which sets the program apart.聽鈥淲e care not just about what is legal, but about what is the right thing to do,鈥� Ferrell said. 鈥淚n this program,聽students aren鈥檛 just getting textbook explanations; they鈥檙e getting testimonials and聽models聽of application.鈥�
The program is young, and its successes are just beginning. 鈥淚 want to see us train up the next generation of criminal justice professionals,鈥� Ferrell said.聽鈥淚t鈥檚 so neat to see students engaged and ready to make a difference.鈥�
Visit the HCU Criminal Justice Program to learn more.