Earlier this week I was lucky enough to travel and celebrate a special event -
and a little history in the making.
This is a friend of mine and the new, first female Chief of Police and Director of Public Safety for BGSU, in Bowling Green Ohio. We met almost 15 years ago when we were very young, finishing college, getting our first jobs, and having no idea where the years would take us.
We had different jobs back then and they overlapped on occasion. We understood that 1) we had a lot to learn, 2) working together and sharing our trials and errors made it easier, and 3) that maybe sometime in the future we would be the ones blazing new trails.
While I am impressed by her continued success in a very demanding field, as well as her education and training credentials, it's her spirit of not giving up that has propelled her to this point. You see, shortly after we met, she was involved in a winter car accident on the way to finishing her last course requirement for her BA degree. She was working full time, so she squeezed in the last classes on Saturday mornings, when the roads had not yet been completely treated.
Her injuries were extensive and Humpty Dumpty had nothing on her. After weeks in the hospital and months of rehab, she fought back, beat the odds and got back to her patrol job. She knew she had things to do then and she is ready for a new challenge now.
Here she is talking with the press, something anyone in law enforcement will tell you is a special challenge all it's own. She will get used to it eventually!
I have many more photos of this event, but for personal safety to the officers in attendance I am choosing not to post them. I cannot know what types of assignments or work the officers from around the state are doing, and I would not want to inadvertently cause a danger.
The large turnout for Chief Monica's swearing-in ceremony is a testament to her skills, professionalism, and just being a darn nice gal! The university is lucky to have her around...
and so am I.
M.E.
7 comments:
Kudos to your friend...she will go far with her determination and dedication!
Awesome! I love female firsts :)
That's so exciting! Congrats to your friend for such a wonderful achievement!
What a great accomplishment for your friend. Overcoming her injuries and her new position! Congrats!!!!
Wow... what a beautiful inspiration!! =) and Fabulous to have a friend with whom you have been through years of life together!!
Well done, and obviously you're both lucky/blessed to have each other for a friend!
Thanks for the kind words and for taking photos. So happy you could make it that day!
- MM
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