Mar. 3—High school students got a taste of what a career in criminal justice and the legal field looks like at a special event Friday at Missouri Western State University.

The school's Department of Criminal Justice and Legal Studies and Social Work program hosted a career exploration event in partnership with students from the St. Joseph School District. The program consisted of several presentations and 45-minute sessions in the crime scene lab, simulator lab and interview interrogation room

Missouri Western's Interim Assistant Dean and Chair of the Department of Criminal Justice and Legal Studies Suzanne Kissock said Missouri Western desires to create opportunities for incoming students to learn and grow.

"We are really excited at Missouri Western to be hosting a high school day for those students who are interested in careers in criminal justice, legal studies and social work," Kissock said. "We wanted to bring students on our campus, spend the day with us, see what we do in a college classroom, the applied learning activities that we integrate into every single class so that they can get excited about the opportunities that exist right here in their community."

Central High School business teacher Jill Blazer said the event developed due to a lack of opportunities for criminal justice experience for students who are interested in those careers.

"(Central High School sends) students out on job shadows in the community based on their interests, and one of the job shadows that's kind of hard to find in the community is law enforcement and social work," Blazer said. "The kids can't do ride-a-longs or they can't go sit in on a home visit with a social worker just because of the confidentiality issues, things like that."

Kade Hixon, a senior at Central, said he would recommend Missouri Western's program to others.

"It's very interesting, the stuff we get to do. As kids today, it's fun," Hixon said. "The crime investigations, the blood splatter, getting to go in the computer technology class and shooting a gun and doing the driving experiences, police chases and everything, it's just interesting and fun to me."

More information on Missouri Western's Department of Criminal Justice and Legal Studies is available at www.missouriwestern.edu/criminal-justice-legal-studies.

Daniel Slaybaugh can be reached at daniel.slaybaugh@newspressnow.com.