April 11, 2022

WTC Criminal Justice Student Looking to Make an Impact on his Community

Kobe Rochester, a second-year student in the Criminal Justice program at the Wilson Talent Center (WTC), noticed the police officers at Sexton High School during his sophomore year. He was curious about their job and the role they played not only at his school but in his community. This was also the year COVID-19 struck, and he was unable to attend a visit to the WTC to learn more about the Criminal Justice program. However, he decided to take a chance and enroll anyway, and he is so glad that he did.

Not only has Rochester succeeded in the program, but he now has a plan for his future. He’s in the process of being promoted to sergeant with the Lansing Police Department’s Explorer Post 911, a program for students ages 14-21 that allows youth to explore the area of Law Enforcement in hopes it will assist them in deciding on a career path. This summer, he has applied to advance as a cadet with the East Lansing Police Department and will begin taking classes in the fall at Lansing Community College before entering the police academy.

In addition, Rochester recently participated in SkillsUSA, a national student leadership organization that allows students to compete against students from around the region, state and nation, testing the skills they have learned in their Career & Technical Education (CTE) programs. He placed first in the region which earned him a spot at the state competition.

“Kobe is an exceptional young man who works hard, wants to succeed and has the compassion and skill to become an excellent police officer,” notes Noel Garcia, Criminal Justice Instructor at the WTC. “As an instructor, it is extremely gratifying to see a student with Kobe’s passion want to serve and impact the community in which he has grown up,” Garcia also noted.

“Growing up in the inner-city of Lansing, I have lost friends to violence,” Rochester says. “I truly believe one person can’t change the whole system, but you can make change one person at a time. It is important to me to make an impact on my community and try to bring about a change in the future,” Rochester also noted.

Rochester will be able to take advantage of earning 15 college credits towards the Criminal Justice associate degree program at Lansing Community College by completing two years at the Wilson Talent Center. He spends half of his school day at Sexton High School and the other half at WTC. In addition to the Law Enforcement class he is currently in, he took an Investigations class last year as a junior.

The Wilson Talent Center, operated by Ingham Intermediate School District, offers career and technical education programs for high school juniors and seniors who reside in Dansville, East Lansing, Haslett, Holt, Leslie, Mason, Okemos, Stockbridge, Waverly, Webberville and Williamston. Applications are also accepted from Lansing School District, Fowlerville Community Schools and Eaton and Clinton County schools. For more information, visit Wilson Talent Center (www.inghamisd.org/wtc).

Kobe Rochester, a Criminal Justice student at the Wilson Talent Center, is looking to make an impact on his community in the future.