Carl Sandburg student excels in law enforcement despite challenges
A Quad-City Carl Sandburg College student is succeeding despite facing a generations-long cycle.
Corissa Wright is breaking five generations of teen pregnancy, becoming the first person in her family to obtain a high school diploma and graduate from college.
Wright says her family and teachers are the ones to push her to get where she is today. “My grandma started when she was 18 or 19,” Wright said. “My mom got pregnant when she was 15 and had me when she was 16.”
Coming from a family of young parents, Wright wanted to make an impact at a young age through law enforcement. “Passion for it started young,” Wright said. “I just always saw how they would help the community and give back. It was something that I was really passionate about, especially being local.”
Wright’s mother never finished high school but earned a GED through Carl Sandburg College to become a certified nursing assistant. Wright wanted to work hard just like her mother did.
“She inspired me because I saw her working hard to take care of me and the family,” Wright said. “That made me realize that I have to work hard for my dreams and passions.”
Wright also looked towards her teachers for encouragement. “Teachers are always willing to support you on your path,” Wright said. “Law enforcement is definitely a hard field to get into nowadays, but there’s tons of resources out there to you if you can get that.”
Teachers at Carl Sandburg College helped Wright excel law enforcement training, even allowing Wright to join the Army National Guard.
“I fell in love with the hands-on training,” Wright said. “Chris Barber was amazing at his job, and he was willing to answer any of my questions because I had a little more experience wanting to be a military police officer.”
Barber, a criminal justice instructor at Carl Sandburg College, said Wright earned his Student of the Year badge outside of his classroom because of the work she put in.
“With Corissa, and many students like Corissa, it’s refreshing to have a student that actually wants to learn,” Barber said. “I try to give the students the best opportunities for getting into law enforcement.”
Learning in Barber’s classroom involves virtual reality training and assessing blood evidence at a crime scene. All exercises are in a controlled environment in Barber’s classroom. With the help of Barber, Wright looks toward the future.
“I hope to give back to the community and find a path in law enforcement,” Wright said.
Wright will graduate in May of 2024 and hopes to get a job with law enforcement connected to psychology.
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