Seventeen Howard Payne University students were recently recognized for the completion of internships in the field of criminal justice.

Each spring, HPU’s criminal justice program honors its interns and their supervisors at a luncheon or picnic. Each intern receives a certificate of completion along with a certificate of emphasis, if either a forensic science or restorative justice emphasis was completed. Most of the interns’ supervisors were on hand for the picnic and ceremony held recently at HPU’s Girling Center for Social Justice.

The students completed 150 hours of service which reflected three credit hours toward their major in criminal justice. Internships included working with “at risk” students and adults at local, state and federal agencies as well as positions with law enforcement agencies and many other service organizations that help students prepare for a future in the field of criminal justice.

“The students’ internships strengthen their skills to become desirable candidates in the workforce upon graduation,” said Lynn Humeniuk, associate professor of criminal justice and sociology and director of the criminal justice program. “Many of our interns are hired after graduation into jobs with the very agency where they served in their internships.”

Students for the 2015-2016 school year included Matthew Aguirre from New Braunfels, intern for the New Braunfels Police Department; Michael Bailey from Georgetown, intern for the Brownwood Police Department; Danyel Bradley from De Soto, intern for the Brownwood Police Department; Lorenzo Flores from Conroe, intern for the Brown County Sheriff’s Office; Brandon Garrett from Burnet, intern for the Austin Police Department; Adrian Hopkins from Beaumont, intern for G4S: The Oaks; Doug Hurt from Brownwood, intern for the Brownwood Police Department; Sylvia Laureles from Brownwood, intern for the Ron Jackson Juvenile Correctional Facility; Justin Lawson from Brownwood, intern for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department; Astin Murray from Lampasas, intern for Three Rivers Municipal Court; Celina Ortiz from White Settlement, intern for the Fort Worth Police Department; Amy Segura from Brownwood, intern for G4S: The Oaks; Gage Smith from Midland, intern for the Midland Police Department; Bruce Spruill from Brownwood, intern for the Brownwood Police Department; Stephanie Upfold from Brownwood, intern for the Brownwood Police Department; Evan Vaden from Houston, intern for Kidventure; and Austin Williamson from Jacksboro, intern for the Brown County Sheriff’s Office.

Individuals serving as supervisors for these students were David Ator, Ron Jackson Juvenile Correctional Facility, Brownwood; Sgt. Pete Bastardo, Brown County Sheriff’s Office; Judge Dawn Benham, Three Rivers Municipal Court; Officer David Bosecker, Texas Parks and Wildlife Regional Office, Brownwood; Officer Randall Bryan, training coordinator, New Braunfels Police Department; Officer John Choyce, training coordinator, Fort Worth Police Department; Sgt. Eric Fitzgerald, Austin Police Department; Assistant Chief James Fuller, Brownwood Police Department; Superintendent Tyrene Green, director of G4S: The Oaks; Chief Deputy Vance Hill, Brown County Sheriff’s Office; Sgt. Rosemary Sharp, Midland Police Department; Eartha Stalling, caseworker, G4S: The Oaks; and Michael Valka, director of Kidventure in Houston.

“Our onsite internship supervisors have been mentors and valuable practitioners beyond the classroom, and for that I am extremely grateful,” said Humeniuk.

For more information, contact HPU’s School of Humanities at 325-649-8201.

Applications are still being accepted for the fall 2016 semester at Howard Payne University. HPU offers a variety of financial aid options including the Heart of Texas Scholarship, which awards $60,000 to students from Brown County and surrounding counties. For more information about HPU, contact HPU’s Office of Admission at (325) 649-8020 or by e-mail at [email protected].

Photo cutline: Seventeen HPU students recently completed internships in the field of criminal justice. Eleven of them are pictured with HPU faculty and several of the local supervisors at the recent picnic. Left to right: Tyrene Green; Amy Segura; Michael Bailey; Eartha Stalling; Doug Hurt; Adrian Hopkins; Bruce Spruill; Stephanie Upfold; Assistant Chief James Fuller; Lynn Humeniuk, associate professor of criminal justice and sociology and director of the criminal justice program; Dr. Paul Lilley, assistant professor of criminal justice; Astin Murray; Sylvia Laureles; Sheriff George Caldwell; Lorenzo Flores; Justin Lawson; and Austin Williamson.