Before gaining experience in law enforcement, I knew the field was male-dominated․ I was going to walk into a room‚ and the majority of the officers‚ detectives‚ and investigators I was going to be dealing with were going to be men․ What I did not expect was to meet a woman who would change how I saw myself and my future․
That woman was my supervisor, Patrice Jennings.
The best way I can describe Patrice is that she is a badass․ And I do not mean that just because of her position or the work she does․ It’s the way she holds herself․ She is confident, intelligent, hard-working‚ not afraid to speak her mind when necessary‚ and is trusted by others․ They listen to her․ They respect her․ And the longer I was around her‚ the more I realized she deserved every ounce of it․
Watching her‚ something clicked in me․
For so long‚ I have been trying to figure out exactly what‌ I want to do with my life․ I‌ am constantly asking myself‚ am I choosing the right career? Am I capable‌ enough for the things I want? What kind of woman do I want‌ to become one day? Then I met Patrice‚ and for the first time‚ I was not just imagining what my future could look like․ I was looking at someone and thinking‚ I want to be like her one day․
Not because I want her exact job or her exact life‚ but because I want that confidence․ I want to walk into a room and know that I belong there․ I want to work hard enough that people consider my opinion‚ and I want to be horizontal and approachable with people without feeling like I am weak․ And I’d like to have the courage to speak up even if I am one of the only women in the room when it really matters․
But what Patrice gave me wasn’t a career‚ but a sense of self-worth.
I spend so much time worrying about what comes next that I don’t really stop and realize how far I’ve come․ There were literally days where I would look around and be like‚ ‘You know‚ younger me would never believe that I was actually there‚ working alongside people doing the kind of work I had always been interested in․’ Patrice made me take myself more seriously․ She made me realize that maybe I am not dreaming about belonging in this field anymore․ Maybe I already do․
That’s something I will carry with me for the rest of my life․
I still do not know exactly where my career will take me․ I do not know what agency I will work for or what title will eventually be next to my name․ But I know the kind of woman I hope to be when I get there․
Sometimes someone comes into your life‚ and their effect on you is so incredible that they don’t even know how much they’ve changed you․ They don’t even have to speak․ Sometimes you just watch them be who they are‚ and suddenly you can see a version of yourself that you could not see before․
Patrice was that person for me․
She showed me the kind of woman I hope to become‚ but more importantly‚ she made me believe that I am capable of reaching that level․