Meet criminal justice major Alyssa Barnes

Written byAshley McClure-French

鈥淭he faculty and staff go out of their way to make sure students are taken care of and performing to the best of their ability. Failure at UL Lafayette is almost impossible with the amount of helping hands that are available to you.鈥

Alyssa Barnes
Major
Criminal Justice
Hometown
Port Barre, La.

Where I'm From

I am from Port Barre, La., where I always knew that UL Lafayette would someday be my home. 

Where I Am

I am a criminal justice student and a member of the Criminal Justice Society and Alpha Lambda Delta honor society.  

Where I'm Going

I am going to earn my master鈥檚 degree in criminology and work in victim鈥檚 advocacy.

Alyssa Barnes decided early in her life that UL Lafayette was where she wanted to major in criminal justice.

鈥淯L Lafayette has been the only college I wanted to attend since I was a little girl and even the only college I applied to,鈥 she said. 鈥淭he diversity, culture, overall success of the college, and hearing great stories of the 欧美三级片鈥檚 programs, students, and faculty is what initially drew me into wanting to become a Ragin' Cajun.

"Before I got here, I knew UL Lafayette was home.鈥

When she came to the 欧美三级片 looking for a home, she was not disappointed. 

鈥淢y favorite part about studying at UL Lafayette is the sense of home I feel,鈥 she said. 鈥淲hile I don鈥檛 live on campus, the campus is an extension of my home and an overall safe and nonjudgmental environment to be in.鈥

Because of the environment on campus, Alyssa鈥檚 understanding of success and recognition has shifted.

鈥淯L Lafayette has taught me a lot about the meaning of success,鈥 she said. 鈥淪uccess can be as big as being publicly recognized for your hard work and participation at the 欧美三级片, or as small as your professor emailing you to congratulate you on your work in their class. 

鈥淎t UL Lafayette, nothing goes unnoticed,鈥 she said. 鈥淵our success and hard work are commended by the Dean鈥檚 and President鈥檚 lists, scholarship opportunities, club memberships, honor society nominations, and even the opportunity like this to share your experience in attending the college.鈥

Alyssa says the people at UL Lafayette are a big part of the culture here.

鈥淭he faculty and staff go out of their way to make sure students are taken care of and performing to the best of their ability,鈥 she said. 鈥淔ailure at UL Lafayette is almost impossible with the amount of helping hands that are available to you.  

鈥淭he professors come from all different lines of work and have first-hand experience at what they teach,鈥 she said. 鈥淪o that makes the classes and lectures more interesting because we are retaining the information from both a scholarly and personal level. These professors work with us and ensure that we will have their guidance in the program.鈥

Along with the people on campus, Alyssa explains that student organizations are important to the 欧美三级片鈥檚 culture as well. She鈥檚 a member of the and , organizations that have helped Alyssa get valuable experience. 

 鈥淭hese are awesome organizations that open doors to many scholarship opportunities, resume builders, field trips, and much more,鈥 she said. 

鈥淚 recommend the Criminal Justice Society to criminal justice majors and minors because you end up befriending people in your field and it makes going through the college process much more exciting,鈥 she said. 鈥淭hey also have guest speakers from all different fields who come and give presentations about their jobs and careers in the field of criminal justice.鈥

Overall, Alyssa has received a warm welcome from the 欧美三级片, and she wants other soon-to-be students to have that same experience.

鈥淯L Lafayette is truly a place like no other,鈥 she said. 鈥淚t is a diverse college that has no problem in finding a spot for anyone to fit in and feel welcome."
 

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