Public Safety Cadets Aaliyah Davis (left) and Keirstin Perez (right)
Public Safety Cadets Aaliyah Davis (left) and Keirstin Perez (right), who are both North Point High School Criminal Justice students, recently participated in a five-day National Leadership and SkillsUSA competition held in Atlanta, Georgia taking home the 3rd and 4th place respectively.
SkillsUSA is a National Organization that provides Career and Technical Education (CTE) students with the opportunity to showcase leadership and technical skills across a wide variety of program-aligned competitions.
Cadet Davis competed in the Quiz Bowl portion where she worked with a team of six students from North Point High School to answer trivia questions on current events, SkillsUSA Foundation information, and general knowledge in math and sciences. When asked what the experience meant to her, Cadet Davis said, “Preparing for my competition in Quiz Bowl caused me to be more aware of what’s going on in the news and current events. At times it could be stressful and intimidating but, in the end, I had a lot of fun making new friends and competing.”
Participating in the Criminal Justice portion of the event, Cadet Perez competed solo against 40 other students from across the United States showing her skills in police-related calls or duties such as a traffic stop, welfare check, theft report, fingerprinting, and writing a detailed report. “I’m so grateful for my experience with the Public Safety Cadets and the Charles County Sheriff’s Office. With their training, guidance, and support, I have learned valuable skills that will enhance my future career, as well as my personal life. I’m proud to say I placed 4th in the country, and I’m excited to move forward on my journey into a career in the criminal justice field,” stated Cadet Perez.
Led by CCSO’s Criminal Justice instructor Cpl. Jen Brown, the cadets were awarded the opportunity to compete nationally after placing 1st in the regional competition in June. “I am so proud of the accomplishments of these students. Their dedication is admirable, and I hope it encourages other students to participate in SkillsUSA,” said Cpl. Brown.
“I am so proud of our cadets who put so much work into highlighting their talents on a national level and I am equally as proud of our CCSO mentors who help the cadets, year-long, acquire the skills needed to compete,” said Sheriff Troy Berry.
The CCSO Public Safety Cadets are grateful for the support of Sheriff Berry and the employees of the Charles County Sheriff’s Office. To learn more about Public Safety Cadets, please visit the CCSO website.
Note: The Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention, Youth, and Victim Services partially funded this project under sub-award number CGPF-2024-0004. All points of view in this document are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the official position of any State or Federal agency.
