My two remaining minors, Kinesiology and Psychology, were brought into my interdisciplinary studies major to enhance my knowledge towards my career path and personal interests. While studying psychology, I learned the basic understandings of psychological application through introductory courses and continued to pursue a better understanding through developmental and specialized psychology courses. I began with studying psychology through an introductory course, PSYC 2000, where a basic understanding of human behavior, as a group, was developed. I then further studied psychology in specialized setting such as industrial, PSYC 3050, and development, PSYC 4070, before studying abnormal, PSYC 3082, and social psychology, PSYC 2040. In all four of these courses, I learned how different people react to different situations based on their affiliations with military organizations, human engineering organizations, and other related fields. I also learned the different issues faced with a persons changing viewpoints as he or she matured and developed throughout the life span. I continued to learn how some people, no matter the situation, simply have a psychological disorder where the prediction of their actions is unlikely, PSYC 3082 and 4039. Currently, I am taking PSYC 2040, the study of social psychology.

    I have found that the academic coursework has helped compliment the experiences that I encountered as a police officer. My job makes me wear a large variety of hats, which include a psychologist. In the course of my job, I have come into contact with a large number of persons who exhibit signs and symptoms of mental illness. The State of Texas has granted me the authority to make emergency detentions, a medical hold on a person at a hospital until released by a psychologist, on persons whom I determined have lost the ability to safely care for themselves or present a danger to themselves or others. Through my job, I have experienced people who help did not arrive fast enough or help was not summoned until it was too late. I have experienced the death of fellow officers from mental issues where the help that was provided was not used or just simply, did not work. These courses have helped me be aware of the thought process of these persons and learn how to develop a rapport with someone who does not care if they die with their next breath.

     On the other side of my interdisciplinary study major is my Kinesiology minor. I pursued this minor to gain a better knowledge of the science of sports training. After being involved with sports from a young age through my college years, I gained a variety of knowledge through practical application. At LSU, I took courses that ranged from the social aspect of sport, KIN 2530, through the ethical and issues of sport, KIN 3800. I studied the Olympic Games, KIN 3507, and took a course detailing the history of African-Americans in sport, KIN 4800. I also studied KIN 4515, a seminar in sport, as well as three practical skills courses in track & field (KIN 1405), golf (KIN 1125), and weight training (KIN 1146).

     Through my career as a track & field athlete, I have learned from personal experience and mentoring from more experienced coaches and athletes. After continuing my education through the course work at LSU, I learned more about the processes of how sport helps develop a person into a hard-working productive member of society and keeps that person away from the darkness of the streets. I have learned through my job that there are things that you, as a police officer, need to do to ensure your neighborhood children are shown the correct path and steered towards it gently. For example, my district has a basketball court where a sign is posted that no persons shall be on the property between nine at night and six in the morning. Since I work the over night shift, any time that I see someone at those basketball courts, I can issue them a citation for criminal trespass and, depending on their age, a curfew violation. The problem is, is that the correct response? Or is the correct response to get out of the police car and play basketball? I play basketball. I believe, through my experience and studies, that it is better for a fifteen year old to be out shooting hoops at three in the morning than shooting up narcotics or shooting a person as a gang initiation. The developments of sport have allowed persons to get away from the life that they would live if there was not an outlet.