Divine Intervention
When searching for colleges, a little divine intervention helped guide Emma Strom to choose Midland University.
“I had received some emails from Midland and had been in contact with (Track & Field) Coach (Dan) Gerber. When I told my grandma about my interest in Midland, she mentioned Midland to our pastor (Chad Johnson). He told her that he had gone to Midland (1996 graduate) and had run track as well. I took that as a sign. We came here on a visit and loved it.”
Three years later, Emma is just days away from walking across the stage as a Midland graduate. The Denver, Colorado, native will leave with a double major in Criminal Justice and Psychology.
She has worked hard to integrate herself into both the Midland and Fremont communities over the past three years. “I found a lot of good friends and good people. When I was in Benton (Hall), those girls became my best friends and will be lifelong friends.”
Emma has excelled on the track for the Warriors, earning All-GPAC honors twice and being named an NAIA Scholar-Athlete. She has also been involved in Phi Omega Sorority, Pi Gamma Mu, and Psi Chi, as well as working at Black Label restaurant, which she says has allowed her to meet many people in the community she might not have met otherwise.
Her love for dogs has her volunteering time over the weekends to work at the local shelter. “Dogs are a great part of life, and I hope to someday use my connections to point people toward adopting dogs from shelters. I have two dogs of my own (Shiloh and Dougie), and they are my best friends.”
Police work is the next step for Emma as she has been interviewing with the Plano, Texas Police Department. After another round of interviews and testing, she is hopeful to begin a 29-week police academy training program this fall.
“I had originally come to Midland planning on going to law school, but after some time, I decided I didn’t want to go through another three years of school. I had the opportunity to visit with a K-9 Officer on campus, and that got me thinking about that line of work.”
Not everyone is cut out to be a police officer, but Emma believes her background and ability to handle challenging situations will serve her well. “I’ve always put myself in tough situations and been able to handle it. When I was in high school, I was the only girl on our football team, and I handled that.
“I also believe what I have learned in Psychology will tie into law enforcement. There are a lot of officers who aren’t aware of mental illnesses, and with my background in Psychology, I will be able to notice that in people.”
Emma Strom is a senior Criminal Justice and Psychology major from Denver, Colorado.
