After graduating from high school, Christopher Easton did what he thought he was supposed to do and enrolled in college. “It didn’t work out for me,” he shared, reflecting that he was too immature, and wasn’t able to give school the attention it required. Without the support and guidance he needed, Easton stopped taking classes, turned toward the working world and eventually to a career in public safety.
Easton served for a few years as a corrections officer before joining the University of Virginia Police Department as an officer. “Here and there, I would take a college level class because in the back of my head, I still wanted to go to school. I just didn’t have a focus or a concrete plan,” he said.
In 2014, Easton received the opportunity to attend the National Criminal Justice Command College through UVA’s School of Continuing and Professional Studies. “I didn’t have any confidence in myself about my ability to be a student. But I surprised myself and did well.” For someone who thought UVA was for “other people,” the Command College helped Easton see himself in a new light. “That was the turning point, and then I committed to complete my degree,” he explained.
Admission advisers at the School of Continuing and Professional Studies helped Easton form a plan that included completing a few classes at community college and transferring into the Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies (BIS) program. “I was so excited to apply to UVA,” Easton said, adding, “My essay came straight from my heart. And I ended up receiving a scholarship because of it. It made me so proud.”
The flexibility of the BIS program allowed Easton to continue working while completing his undergraduate degree. He believes his work experience helped him be a better student, and his school experience helped him be a better officer. Immediately, he saw his writing and collaboration skills improve as a result of his classwork.
Easton may not have known it at the time, but his education journey had only just begun. Soon after completing his bachelor’s degree at UVA, he was offered the opportunity to attend the FBI National Academy (FBINA), an honor he never expected. At the conclusion of the FBINA program, Easton realized he had half of the credits necessary to complete a master’s degree. Like many of his peers in the FBINA, he decided to continue through UVA’s Master of Public Safety (MPS) program. “In the MPS program, I was surrounded by public safety professionals. I felt at home,” Easton reflected.
Although Easton acknowledges that finishing his bachelor’s degree made a promotion to Assistant Chief possible, he believes education means much more than the ability to advance in one’s career. He explained, “This day in age, there’s such an ‘us versus them’ mentality amongst the community and the officers who serve it, but it shouldn’t be that way. Education allows us to see that we’re all the same. We all have passions. We all have fun and laugh and feel sad at times. We all enjoy little things like good food, pets, and we all have family and friends that mean so much to us. Education fosters this community through unity, and it helps make policing better which helps make our community safer.”
Learn more about the Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies' Cohort for Public Safety Professionals
