In a year or so, don’t be surprised to see Kayla Vucelich working for the Campbell County Sheriff’s Office or one of the town or city police departments in the area.
She’s already preparing herself for a career in law enforcement.
The 16-year-old Vucelich, a senior at Altavista Combined School, is in the criminal justice program at the Campbell County Technical Center in Yellow Branch. She’s the platoon leader of the 34-member class this school year.
This summer, Vucelich graduated from the Junior Law Cadet program, which is co-sponsored by the Virginia State Police and the American Legion. Thirty-seven rising high school seniors went through the program July 22-27 in Richmond.
The 23rd annual program offered cadets a similar experience to what state troopers get in their training, complete with daily room inspections, instruction by troopers on Virginia State Police operations, crime scene investigations, officer survival, undercover operations, driver improvement, scuba training, defensive tactics and firearms safety. Cadets also went through a variety of physical agility exercise.
“The daily instruction and exercise give the young men and women a glimpse into the life and training a Virginia state trooper goes through,” said Col. W. Steven Flaherty, superintendent of the Virginia State Police. “It’s a valuable experience, especially for teenagers who have an interest in pursing law enforcement as a career. More importantly, the Junior Law Cadet program is one of the best ways for our department to make contact and build positive relationships with today’s young people.”
Vucelich, who lives in Lynch Station, learned several things at the program, including to “never give up,” “be accountable for your actions” and “strive to do what you want to do, not what others want you to do.”
She learned about hand-to-hand combat, proper techniques for handling weapons and to work as part of a team. She also learned it’s important to be on time or early.
She was 30 minutes late arriving at the program. That cost her 25 pushups.
Vucelich and the other cadets ran with the trooper recruits. She said they had to be up at 3:30 in the morning for a run that started at 5.
Vucelich, daughter of Donna and Dallas Garrett, said she decided to participate in the program because it would give her a taste of what she wants to accomplish later in life.
She’s been thinking about a career in law enforcement since she was 6 or 7. Then, it was either police work or being a teacher.
“I like the idea of protecting people and making things the way they should be,” she said about law enforcement.
Vucelich, who’s in the color guard and on the tennis team at Altavista Combined, said she likes having responsibility and being in charge.
Recently, she was a corporal at the 2012 CSI Summer Academy at the technical center, a program initiated through Central Virginia Community College.
The purpose of the weeklong camp was to acquaint students in grades five through seven with law enforcement and what police officers do, said Trooper Butch McMurray, a co-coordinator of the program and a state trooper in Campbell County 11 years.
The other co-coordinator was Mike Harris, who spent 27 years with the Campbell County Sheriff’s Office before retiring. He teaches criminal justice at the technical center.
Students came from Campbell, Appomattox, Amherst and Bedford counties. They learned about firearms, crime scene investigations, K-9 operations and driving under the influence. They also had some physical training. Area police officers, including Altavista’s Ken Walsh, Kenny Moorefield and Scott Earhart, helped with the camp.
Students graduated Aug. 10 and ended camp with a pizza lunch.