MONACA, Pa. — A criminal justice degree offers graduates a wide range of career possibilities, and an ongoing collaboration with Penn State Beaver and the Beaver County Courts is helping students learn about their options and prepare for their futures.
Aileen Bowers, deputy district court administrator for Beaver County, said she began working with Penn State Beaver interns in 2023 when Jordan Lizzi, now in her third year at the Beaver campus, reached out to her to ask about the possibility of an internship.
It went so well that Bowers reached out to Mari Pierce, interim regional director of academic affairs and former program coordinator of the criminal justice program at Beaver, to talk about creating a pipeline for more students to work in the district judge offices.
“It’s been a great collaboration,” Bowers said. “They’ve just knocked it out of the park.”
Bowers said the collaboration has been helpful to the courts, and it’s been rewarding to work with students.
“I’m thrilled to be able to mentor and teach students to help to prepare them for life after college,” she said.
‘A behind-the-scenes perspective’
One of those students, Ana Luísa Galante, a 2024 Penn State Beaver graduate, completed an internship at the district magistrate’s office in Ambridge. She continued to work for the Beaver County Courts for over a year after she graduated.
“I was able to learn more about the intricacies of the court system,” she said. “I now have an in-depth understanding of the system and how it can differ in many places.”
Aaliyah Booker, a 2024 graduate, completed her internship with the Beaver County Public Defender’s office. It was an experience that she said gave her “the chance to interact with nearly every part of the criminal justice system from observing plea negotiations … to working with police officers who reported cases.”
“When it came time for internships, (the professors) worked diligently to match us with opportunities that aligned with our career aspirations and encouraged our growth,” she said.
After her internship, Booker went on to work for District Judge Daniel Viscuso in New Brighton.
“Working for Judge Viscuso at the magistrate court was one of the best experiences I’ve ever had,” she said. “As a clerk, I gained a behind-the-scenes perspective of the legal process before cases even reached the courtroom. Judge Viscuso offered me guidance and mentorship, treating me as more than just another worker and encouraging me to grow.”
Booker, who is currently in Milton, Georgia, has been doing post-graduate internships in law firms and is applying to law school.
Lizzie Bates, a fourth-year criminal justice major, is currently completing a second internship with the Viscuso’s magisterial court office in New Brighton.
“My experience with the Beaver County Courts has been nothing but amazing,” Bates said. “I feel like the connections I have built with my coworkers, police officers — not only the New Brighton Area Police Department, but several surrounding departments — attorneys and other courthouse staff members will allow me to go into my future career ready for basically anything.”
Preparing for the future
For alumni of Penn State Beaver’s criminal justice program, their experience was about more than simply earning a diploma. They learned what they wanted to do after graduation, and many have found employment.
Galante, who is bilingual, is currently studying to be a court interpreter through the state’s Interpreter Certification Program. She said her internship and subsequent job with the courts widened her perspective to different career options. “This is why I decided to pursue court interpreting,” she said.
In addition to the magisterial court, students have interned in various other departments including the county detective’s bureau, the sheriff’s department, probation and parole, the county jail and local police departments. Alumni are working in Beaver County and for agencies such as the Pennsylvania State Police, the Miami-Dade Police, the U.S. Supreme Court Police and the Pennsylvania Human Rights Commission.
“I believe the criminal justice program at Penn State Beaver allows for a wide flexibility of customization in learning. The professors are very open to guiding each student into specific career options,” Galante said. “They are also able to put students into situations that allow the students to learn about what they may want to do and what they may not want to do. The professors encourage critical thinking, and they help students create a broad understanding of what criminal justice is, conventionally and unconventionally.”
Booker said the professors made a genuine effort to get to know the students and their goals.
“The criminal justice program at Penn State Beaver is truly exceptional,” Booker said. “I am beyond grateful for the opportunities and experiences I gained and for the professors who helped shape both my personal and professional development.”