IRONWOOD, Mich. — Twenty-six students from across Michigan and northern Wisconsin are spending the week at Gogebic Community College, participating in the Michigan State Police Law Enforcement Career Academy.
The weeklong program, hosted by MSP’s Eighth District, introduces high school students to a range of public safety careers and gives them hands-on experience in law enforcement training.
“They’re getting instruction in categories like first aid and life-saving techniques if there’s a medical emergency,” said Lt. Ben Eckola, Eighth District information officer. “Things like defensive tactics, how they’d make a traffic stop, and how to talk down somebody that is having a mental emergency.”
In addition to training sessions, students are learning about a variety of first responder roles, including state troopers, conservation officers, EMS personnel, and forensic specialists.
“This isn’t us telling them what they should do,” said Sgt. Donald Stewart, a community service trooper with the Michigan State Police. “This is us opening the door and giving them opportunities, building relationships, and facilitating introductions with community partners. It’s about them making the critical decision, not us.”
For many students, the experience has been eye-opening.
“It has been amazing. I have learned so much,” said Carlee Erkkila, a student in the program. “We got to work on actual cases, listen to 911 calls, and we’ve gotten to learn a ton of different stuff — like things I’d never thought of. I ripped the door off a truck, so that was pretty cool.”
Stewart said watching the transformation in students is one of the most rewarding parts of his job.
“They come in and they believe they can’t do it. They doubt themselves in every aspect,” he said. “We push them to experience things that they wouldn’t otherwise, and that belief inside that says, ‘You know what, I can do this.’ That’s rewarding.”
Eckola said the academy has grown substantially since it began last year, and they hope to continue to grow in the future.
