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| Graduates of Southwestern Community College’s recent Basic Law Enforcement Training include, from left: Jordan Sampson (sponsored by Cherokee Indian Police); Curtis Dowdle, Dean of Public Safety Training, SCC; Audrey Parrish (sponsored by Franklin Police); Paul Mossbargar III (sponsored by Franklin Police); Joseph Melvin Jr. (sponsored by Swain County Sheriff’s Office); Mitch Boudrot, LE Program Director, SCC-PSTC, Alicia Frizzell (sponsored by Cherokee Indian Police); Adam Cutler (sponsored by Cherokee Indian Police); Matthew Bowman (sponsored by Jackson County Sheriff’s Office); Matthew Reynolds, SCC’s N.C. Law Enforcement Program Coordinator; and Kenneth Adams (sponsored by Sylva Police). |
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| Audrey Parrish (left) of Franklin was one of eight students to complete Southwestern Community College’s Basic Law Enforcement Training at the Public Safety Training Center in Macon County. She’s pictured here with Curtis Dowdle, dean of public safety training for SCC. |
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| Jordan Sampson (right) of Cherokee recently completed SCC’s Basic Law Enforcement training. Shaking hands with Sampson is Matt Reynolds, SCC’s N.C. Law Enforcement Program Coordinator. |
Involuntarily losing a job is rarely a welcome development.
The case of Franklin resident Audrey Parrish is a rare exception.
When she was laid off from the Hanes Plant in Clayton, Ga., Parrish was provided an opportunity to pursue her associate degree. She got into Southwestern Community College’s criminal justice program, earned her degree then was among eight students who completed SCC’s Basic Law Enforcement Training last month.
Now that she’s found her passion, Parrish has some promising leads on her first law enforcement position and is thrilled with the way her life has worked out.
“I hated that job (at Hanes),” Parrish said. “It was very hard mentally and physically, and I was unappreciated. Losing that job was the best thing that ever could have happened. If not, I would not have the opportunity to go to college.”
The intense BLET program at Southwestern challenged Parrish’s limits, but she persevered and was named class corporal.
The class met six days each week, often training for 60 hours or more each week. Graduates received their certificates in a Sept. 26 ceremony at SCC’s Public Safety Training Center.
Ashley Cunningham, criminal justice technology and latent evidence instructor at SCC, said: “Audrey overcame personal obstacles and reached for her dreams. She truly pushed through so much that could have held her back. I was so proud that she was made class Corporal; she’s one of the few females in my recollection to do that.”
Parrish credited Matt Reynolds (SCC’s NC law enforcement certification program coordinator/instructor), Mitch Boudrot (SCC’s law enforcement training program director/coordinator/instructor) and Curtis Dowdle (SCC’s dean of public safety training) with pushing her throughout the BLET program.
“They are the most dedicated group of individuals I’ve met in my life,” Parrish said. “They lead by example and push you to do your best. It gives you confidence to do anything else you want to in life.
“When I started BLET, I had some issues with self-confidence and didn’t think I could make it through,” Parrish added. “But my instructors see something in you that you don’t see in yourself. It was like a snowball. It started with something small and builds to where I now have full confidence, I have no doubts, that I can become a police officer and handle all aspects of that job.”
Another BLET graduate, Jordan Sampson of Cherokee, said he was also challenged by the training.
“Being accountable was the big thing I got out of it,” Sampson said. “They would teach us the lessons, and they made us learn it. Each of us was accountable for all the learning. We had to take that on ourselves. We’re accountable for the training and for growing as individuals.
“Because of the training I received, I have more respect for the job, more respect for the instructors and more respect for the knowledge they gave us,” Sampson added. “I am proud to have graduated from SCC’s Basic Law Enforcement Training.”
For more information about SCC’s public safety training, call 828.306.7041 or visit www.southwesterncc.edu/pstc.
