Colorado Tech Online Students and Alumni
Meet Gloria Van Slyke
Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice
An interview with Gloria Van Slyke
What are you currently doing in your career?
I am currently an emergency room nurse. I just volunteered my services as a legal advocate for domestic violence at two domestic violence centers here in Maryland. That will give me more experience in utilizing my criminal justice degree. Combining my work experience with the knowledge and skills I acquired through earning my degree, I am launching my own business as a consultant providing services to criminal attorneys and private investigators. I can assist with any case that involves a medical record and criminal proceeding. I can work for either the prosecution or the defense. Typical cases would be those involving intimate partner violence, child/elder abuse, human trafficking, death investigations, accident investigations and DUI.
What made you decide to continue your education?
I had originally started out in a Bachelor's degree program when I graduated from high school at the age of 16 from a head start program in NYC, but that did not work out. I then spent 13 years in the Army Reserve and eventually earned an Associate's degree in Nursing. My education and experience as a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) allowed me to get my foot in the door as a Registered Nurse (RN). I always wanted to complete my Bachelor's degree, but for 18 years I put that on hold because of a marriage and two children while pursuing a career in nursing. When my youngest daughter became a senior in high school, I finally was able to finish what I had started. As a full-time emergency room nurse and divorced mother of two, earning my degree through Colorado Tech Online has been a blessing!
Why did you choose Colorado Tech Online?
I looked into online learning because it is a hot trend in education and offers flexibility. I considered five online universities and did an analysis, comparing prices, instructors, degree programs, accreditation and how it would fit my lifestyle. Colorado Tech Online fit my needs perfectly. The advisors were knowledgeable, professional and helped alleviate my apprehensions about returning to school in an online setting. The credits I earned in my Associate's degree program were transferable, so I was able to begin as a Junior. The instructors have real-world experience in the subjects they teach and the class projects have practical applications in my profession. Colorado Tech Online beat the competition in every respect.
How do you feel your degree will help you to advance in your field?
I am the only nurse in my workplace that has a degree in criminal justice. In my capacity as a legal advocate, I accompany domestic violence victims to court and help them file restraining orders. In my capacity as a nurse I ensure victims have access to health care and that their medical records are in order and admissible as evidence. My degree has given me a much broader scope. In the Laws of Evidence in Criminal Courts course I took through Colorado Tech Online, I learned that presentation, discovery and the way evidence is handled is instrumental in the outcome of the case. As a nurse, my heart may go out to a gunshot wound victim in ER and my impulse is to start cutting through clothes and tossing them to the floor. As a criminal justice professional, however, I now know that there are evidentiary rules and procedures that need to be followed and that we could be destroying crucial evidence that can make the difference between a conviction and an acquittal if we do that. I feel that I am now a much better asset to the attorneys I work with because I already know what they are looking for. Forensics is not about being a superhero or solving a case in a one hour television time slot, it is about understanding the criminal justice system and my degree in criminal justice helped me do that. I can see both perspectives now and can help bring about a positive outcome for victims and for the state.
How has your life changed after earning your degree?
I feel much better about myself, much more confident and my life has changed for the better. Earning a Bachelor's degree has been a lifelong personal goal…a dream and achieving that dream has created more opportunities for me. When I had business cards printed and was able to put RN, BS behind my name I felt a presence I have never experienced before. That is my calling card and it tells my colleagues to take me seriously, because yes, I have a Bachelor's degree, I know what I am talking about and I can deliver the goods. That is what earning my degree through Colorado Tech Online did for me personally.
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