Olivet Nazarene University- Criminal Justice Program

08/28/2026

Congratulations to Manteno’s newest officer and a May graduate of our Criminal Justice program!
Officer Valone was born and raised in Essex and graduated from Reed-Custer High school. After attending KCC for two years, she graduated from Olivet Nazarene University with double majors in Criminal Justice and Psychology.

Officer Valone will begin her 16 week academy training at the Police Training Institute in Champaign next week. After graduation, she will then return to Manteno for 12 weeks of field training.

Welcome aboard, Alayna. We have a feeling you’ll do a great job for our department and our village!

08/27/2026

We are incredibly proud to celebrate Deputy Yeager, a graduate of our Criminal Justice program, who was honored today by the Village of Shipshewana, Indiana, with a Lifesaving Award.
Deputy Yeager responded to a serious farming accident in which a farmer suffered a traumatic leg injury. His quick response and actions helped save the farmer’s life. Medics indicated that if help had arrived just five minutes later, the farmer most likely would not have survived. We couldn’t be more proud to call Deputy Yeager one of our graduates!
Congratulations, Deputy Yeager! Your dedication to serving and protecting others is an incredible example of what it means to be a criminal justice professional. 👮‍♂️

08/16/2026

Several of our Criminal Justice students served as interns this summer in a variety of agencies and organizations. Each one stepped into their placement ready to learn, contribute, and grow.

I am incredibly proud of the work they have done and the professionalism they have demonstrated. These experiences are helping prepare them for the important work they will do in their communities and in the criminal justice profession.

A huge thank-you to all of the agencies, supervisors, and professionals who invested their time and expertise into our students this summer. Your willingness to mentor the next generation of criminal justice professionals makes a lasting difference!

Here’s a look at just a few of our amazing interns serving throughout the summer! 👏🏼💙

07/29/2026

Congratulations to Bryce Rodriguez, a 2025 graduate of Olivet Nazarene University’s Criminal Justice Program, on being sworn in this weekend as a Deputy Sheriff with the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department!
Bryce’s dedication, integrity, and commitment to serving others have been evident throughout his time at Olivet. As the recipient of the Robert Milner Award for Excellence, he exemplified the character, leadership, and professionalism that define our Criminal Justice Program.
We are incredibly proud of Bryce and look forward to seeing the positive impact he will make in his community and in the profession and how God will continue to use him.
Please join us in congratulating Deputy Bryce Rodriguez on this outstanding achievement. We wish him a safe, successful, and rewarding career in law enforcement!

06/06/2026

Congratulations to Zach Moore!
Today, Zach graduated from the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy and earned the prestigious J.P. Strom Award for achieving the highest academic average in his class.
We are especially proud to celebrate Zach as a May 2026 graduate of our Criminal Justice Program.
Zach, we are incredibly proud of you and all that you have accomplished. We know this is just the beginning of your law enforcement career!

Stay safe, and may God bless you as you begin this next chapter of your journey!

05/25/2026

05/19/2026

We are incredibly proud to recognize our alumni, Officer Perry, for recently receiving the CAPS Award from the Naperville Police Department for his proactive response during a teen takeover incident.
Your dedication, professionalism, and commitment to keeping the community safe are making a real difference. It is always inspiring to see our alumni serving with integrity and leadership in the field of law enforcement.
Congratulations, Officer Perry! We are proud of the work you are doing and thankful for your service to the community. 👏🚔

05/17/2026

Today some of our Criminal Justice students had the honor of volunteering and participating in the “I Got Your Six” Run/Walk. We are incredibly proud to support such a meaningful event honoring Officers Ritmanic and Bailey.

Events like this remind us of the importance of service, sacrifice, and standing together as a community. Thank you to everyone who participated, volunteered, and showed support today. 💙🖤

05/09/2026

Today we proudly celebrate the graduation of our 15 amazing seniors!! We are so proud of your hard work and dedication and we know each of you will continue to strive for excellence in all that you do.
We are also especially honored to recognize two of our seniors who were commissioned today as Second Lieutenants in the United States Army. 🇺🇸 Fenn and Irions - your commitment to service, leadership, and sacrifice is inspiring, and we know you will represent our program and ROTC with excellence.
Congratulations to all of our graduates! Your future is bright, and we cannot wait to see the impact you will make in the world.

04/30/2026

Today we hosted our Annual Criminal Justice Award Ceremony, celebrating the incredible achievements of our students!
We proudly honored our graduating seniors, recognized our Top Gun shooters from Range Day, and welcomed new members into Alpha Phi Sigma.
A special congratulations goes to our Micah Award Winner, Arianna Esquivel! This prestigious award is presented to one senior who maintains a 3.4 GPA or higher, is a member of Alpha Phi Sigma, and exemplifies outstanding servant leadership and the qualities of Micah 6:8. Congratulations- Arianna!

We are so proud of all of our students and the dedication, integrity, and service they bring to the field of criminal justice!

Congratulations, Seniors !