SSU student veteran pursues career in criminal justice

Returning home from serving in the U.S. Air Force, Luke McGlone decided to attend Shawnee State University for the next step in his career. A native of Rarden, Ohio, McGlone chose to pursue a major in Criminal Justice while minoring in Social Work. When choosing his major, he relied on his past education in criminal justice he received while attending Scioto County Career Technical Center.

“I originally was going to declare a different major,” he said. “When I attended my ‘Intro to Sociology’ course, coupled with my past work experience, it led me to the program combination of Criminal Justice and Social Work.”

Settling in to his major, McGlone’s favorite parts of his coursework consists of the concepts and the difficult positions that must be considered when completing work in the field.

“I enjoy understanding the human factor and how our experiences can shape us,” he said. “And then how we can take that knowledge and give aid to people in a plethora of areas.”

In SSU’s Criminal Justice program, students build a strong understanding of criminology and explore the social, gender, and psychological aspects of criminal behavior. Graduates of the program will gain skills in corrections and policing, criminal justice statistics, victimology, juvenile justice, nonverbal communication, and more. McGlone advises any prospective student who might be interested in the program to remain open minded.

“Be ready to learn about yourself just as much as you learn about the program,” he said. “Keep an open mind and leave your personal feelings at the door, as there are a lot of topics that are controversial or tragic.”

While attending SSU, McGlone is also serving as a Student Senator for the Student Government Association as well as an officer in the university’s Student Veterans Association. As he continues in his major, McGlone at the moment is exploring career paths for Correctional Social Workers.

To learn more about the Criminal Justice program at Shawnee State University, visit www.shawnee.edu/criminal-justice.

McGlone