Hands-On, Real Talk, and Life-Saving Skills: Criminal Justice Students Share Takeaways from National Criminal Justice Month Events
April 21, 2025
By Stephanie Godward, Communications and Marketing Director, College of Arts & Sciences
Each March, National Criminal Justice Month (NCJM) offers students across the country the chance to learn more about the workings and careers of the justice system.
The Department of Criminal Justice this year brought the theme, “Cops, Courts, and Community” to life through a series of on-campus events designed to give students real-world insight and practical experience.
In partnership with student organizations Lambda Alpha Epsilon (LAE) and Alpha Phi Sigma (APS), the department hosted three weeks of themed programming marking NCJM this year. Since Congress designated March as National Criminal Justice Month in 2009, the goal has been to raise awareness of the criminal justice system and inspire meaningful engagement.
For sophomore Criminal Justice Major Ana Wolfenberger, one event in particular had a significant impact.
“The Day in the Life of a Lawyer with Joe Guttman stood out to me the most because it gave me insight into how much a lawyer can earn in their profession and how to communicate with others in the field,” she said.
Wolfenberger also gained a new appreciation for the role of community in criminal justice during “Courts” week.
“Attending these events did change my perspective about the relationships between criminal justice professionals and the community. I saw this especially in the drug court event with Elizabeth Nichols. She explained how offenders were able to receive rehabilitation and showed pictures of the individuals ‘graduating’ from their treatment. This was refreshing to see because not everyone makes it through the system, and it's nice to see people improve their way of life,” Wolfenberger said.
During “Cops” week, students had the opportunity to interact with ULPD’s comfort dog-in-training, Lily, and hear from the U.S. Secret Service about careers in federal law enforcement. They also toured the Louisville Metro Police Department’s Forensic Investigation Unit crime lab, learning firsthand how crime scene evidence is processed.
But it was “Community” week’s Narcan training that stuck with both Wolfenberger and fellow Criminal Justice student Quinn McConnell.
“Something that I learned that was unexpected throughout these events was how to administer Narcan,” Wolfenberger said. “A lot of students on campus are susceptible to getting laced items, so having the knowledge of administering Narcan will be beneficial in case of emergency. This is something that every student on campus should get to know. It can be very helpful in these types of situations and can save someone’s life.”
McConnell agreed, stating, “The event that stood out to me the most was the Narcan Training. It is special to get hands-on experience with an issue that is affecting the nation. Getting this training helped me better understand the problems and what I can do to help. It was also cool to take home Narcan so that I can use it if I am ever in a situation that calls for it. It made me realize that having a career in criminal justice can be anything I want to do to help out the community. There is opportunity everywhere, anything I want to do, I can.”
McConnell also came away from the NCJM events with a new outlook on the field.
“These events did change my perception of the relationship between criminal justice professionals and the community they serve. It made me realize that the criminal justice professionals are willing to talk to me about what they do and that they care about my interests,” McConnell said.
And his advice to fellow students?
“If there is something that every future CJ student should know after Cops, Courts, and Drugs events, it's to take a risk. Go to these events that are hosted. It is a great opportunity to learn more about the community and the event can interest you to possibilities you may not have expected,” McConnell said.
The month wrapped up with a talk from Dr. Joe Grant titled “Be the ‘I’ in Community,” encouraging students to reflect on their personal role and responsibility in shaping safer, healthier communities through their work in criminal justice.
The department’s own Kim Hendricks, Dr. Katie Hughes-Taylor, and Professor Jennifer Cox were delighted with the successful turnout.
They shared, "We received so much positive feedback from students throughout the month and even managed to record some events to share with our online learners. Plans for March 2026 are already underway!"
