The Graduates: BLE Class 265 and Crossover BLE Class 362

AVON PARK, Fla. – June 9, 2021 – South Florida State College’s (SFSC) Basic Law Enforcement (BLE) Academy graduated eight cadets from BLE Class 265, and three cadets from the Crossover BLE Academy Class 362 during a ceremony on Wednesday, June 9, outside the Criminal Justice Academy on the Highlands Campus in Avon Park.

BLE Class 265 graduates who received career certificates were Christopher Conn, Victor Gonzalez Vargas, Alexander Hill, Michael O’Malley, Kenneth Palmerton, Jonathan Perez, Brady Rhodes, and Realene Torres.

Crossover BLE Class 362 graduates receiving their career certificates were Anthony Hull, David Rogers Jr., and Andrew Wolgamott.

During the ceremony, special awards were presented to the cadets: Alexander Hill of BLE Class 265 for top academics and as class leader and Michael O’Malley of BLE Class 265 for top firearms scores.

As class leader, Hill addressed his fellow graduates: “Today is a day that should bring us great pride, because we’ve earned it. We deserve these job titles and these certificates. Now that we have them, each of us has the opportunity to go to our agencies and go into the communities with the goal to change lives, protect the innocent, and maintain law and order. That’s been my dream for as long as I can remember. And I know that each of us here is more than capable, and we should be more than ready to do just that. When the struggles come in the next six months and even beyond that, when we are faced with tough choices, I hope we will all be men and women of integrity, who are willing to treat those we encounter with respect and dignity. Choose to make the best of every situation you find yourself in and work to improve yourself every day. All of us made it here today despite the struggles we faced, and I don’t expect any future struggles to prevent us from reaching our goals.”

SFSC’s Basic Law Enforcement career certificate program trains students to become law enforcement officers in Florida. By successfully completing the program, they are eligible to take the state certification examination to become certified law enforcement officers. The program runs 770 contact hours or approximately five months full time or approximately 10 months part time.

The Correction to Law Enforcement (Crossover) career certificate program trains currently employed corrections officers to become law enforcement officers in Florida. Upon successful completion of the program, graduates are eligible to take the state certification examination to become certified law enforcement officers. The program runs 515 contact hours or approximately 10 months part time.

For more information about either of these programs, visit southflorida.edu or call SFSC’s Criminal Justice Academy at 863-784-7285.