.         In my freshman year, I decided to take Criminal Justice, and in my opinion, it ended up being the best decision I could have made. Mr. Scott is a wonderful teacher full of kindness and has so much passion for his job.

.         Mr. Scott had worked at Westfield High School for three years and at Centerville High School for ten, teaching Criminal Justice at both. Before starting this journey, he worked with the Fairfax County Police Department for 25 years. For 11 years, he was also a SWAT team sergeant. “I called this a transition,” he said. While working in the Fairfax County Police Department, he had the opportunity to be a guest speaker at high schools and found interest in it, making it seem like the best fit after retirement to share knowledge and experience with students. Criminal Justice is broken into two categories: one focuses on law enforcement and the court system and how they work together; Criminal Justice two is a more hands-on level. His goals for the class are to help students recognize the importance of making good decisions and to provide insight on law enforcement to those who are interested. Mr. Scott loves to see his Criminal Justice students grow and watch them gain more knowledge going into Criminal Justice two.

.         I remember when he used to tell us stories from when he worked with the police, FBI, etc., and would always reenact certain things. His stories about homicide were definitely gory but interesting. There was this case called the sniper shooting; it was about three long weeks in DC where a shooter was hiding high in buildings, randomly sniping people in broad daylight. This case always interested me because of how much I could imagine people living in fear that if they stepped out of the house, they could die. This class also inspired me to further my studies in criminal justice after high school.

.         To get an inside look at the students’ perspective, I talked to a few of them to know what they think about this class. Hassan, 12, said he took Criminal Justice just for fun, but now he loves to learn about these things because it’s not something you learn in other classes. Almost all the kids who have taken this class have loved it, and the teacher, as it gives you a new perspective on the world.

.         For any upcoming students deciding on what electives to take for the next school year, I would highly recommend this to be one of your choices. It will be a year of fun, chill, and relaxing class with field trips!