Alumni & Friends
Name: Marissa Leger
Class of: 2019
Program: Bachelor of Science in Justice Studies, with a concentration in Terrorism and Homeland Security
I chose Southern New Hampshire University because it felt like home. It was honestly a school I didn’t think I wanted to go to, but when I visited for field hockey, I immediately fell in love with the campus, it was gorgeous, people were so nice, the professors knew their students and the field hockey team was truly a family. I felt so at home right away and I knew that when I left that I was going to be returning here as a student. I am so happy that I ended up choosing SNHU.
My hope in receiving a college education was to discover my passion, what I want to do for the rest of my life after I graduate and hopefully through my courses I would find that out. I knew my major was going to be Justice Studies but SNHU has opened my eyes to countless opportunities. SNHU’s great advisors and professors have helped me to have an internship at the state law enforcement level last summer and now I am hoping to get a federal law enforcement internship for next semester, which the Career Development Center helped me with. In addition, I didn’t expect to be so involved and so invested in my college education, but I truly enjoy my classes, my professors and I expand my knowledge each and every day.
My experience at SNHU feels personal because it is so real, there are so many members of the community that I know, I say hi to people wherever I go on campus, I know a lot of people and a lot of people know me. It feels like a second home truly, and that is why my SNHU experience feels so personal.
What inspired me to choose Justice Studies was my brother. He is a border patrol agent out in Arizona and I wanted to follow in his footsteps, and when I began my justice classes here at SNHU, I knew I picked the right degree for myself because I loved the classes, and I loved learning about law enforcement.
My dream job after I leave SNHU is to work federally in law enforcement, maybe for Customs and Border Protection, or the Federal Bureau of Investigation. I truly want to keep my options open but I know that I have the passion and the drive to become a federal agent and that is my dream job.
I would say that the biggest influence on my SNHU experience has been the coaches I have had the privilege of working with. Some of my coaches have left SNHU to pursue other careers but I think that each and every one of them, past and current hold a special place in my heart and made a huge mark on my SNHU experience. They taught me how to be a leader on the team, even as a freshman. They taught me how much fun it is to make history with a team each and every day and they taught me a lot about life, and how the person you are on the field reflects how you are off the field and I thought I knew a lot about heart, determination and motivation but they taught me more about that than I thought I knew.
I have a job for Penmen Athletics and it has been a great way to fill my free time, meet new people, and take on a leadership role and be involved in campus. In addition, I am a part of the Justice Studies Association and a second-year member of Signature Leadership Program. Perhaps, the way I am most involved is through my field hockey team, we spend a lot of time together, and we are a close-knit unit and I am extremely grateful for every member of my Penmen family.
Sometimes what I find most challenging is finding time in the day to decompress, because I think it is important to have “me” time and important to relax and unwind. Sometimes with a busy schedule it is hard to find this time, but when I do get this time to myself to relax and unwind, I do not take it for granted!
I am proudest of the fact that I am able to play field hockey at the collegiate level. Everyone that supported me in high school, thought that I would play in college but that I would play Division 3, and there is nothing wrong with that but I wanted to prove those people wrong and prove to them that if I wanted to play at the Division 2 level I would work my butt off and make it happen for myself. I wasn’t on a club team in high school, so I basically got myself recruited, made my own highlight video and went through the entire recruiting process on my own and I am proud that I have the privilege and honor to be a Division 2 athlete here at Southern New Hampshire University. I am proudest of the fact that when people told me that I probably couldn’t play at this level, I proved them wrong and I am so grateful for the opportunity I have here at SNHU to be a part of a collegiate program.
To an incoming student; I would tell them that it gets better. When I first moved it, it was preseason, there were only fall athletes on campus and it was a really difficult transition and I didn’t like being away from home. But give it time and it honestly has become the place I favor most other than my hometown. SNHU is a hidden gem, so be sure to take advantage of all the opportunities that are there for you and get involved because it really makes a difference.
Following graduation, I plan to work in law enforcement, hopefully federally. I plan to do that and get my adrenaline fix for about 20-25 years and I want to retire, get my real estate license and coach field hockey. It has always been a dream of mine to coach, but I realize that doesn’t pay the bills, so I will begin my career in a more practical fashion and then come back to it. I hope to stay connected to SNHU and help students if I can.
I hope that I can mentor students, provide internship opportunities or just be a networking contact for students studying criminal justice and hoping to have a career in law enforcement. I want to be a reference, and a number of students can call, and I want to remain involved and come back to campus for alumni events. Of course, I will be attending many field hockey games as well.
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