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This story was first featured in the 2024 edition of Campus Magazine. Click here to see more!
It’s been over twenty years since Tim Ortwein ’01 graduated, but his Elmira College experiences still resonate with newer graduates like Mary Preston ’17 and Alexandra Brockhuizen ’22. Despite following different career paths, the three Criminal Justice majors shared how EC fostered the critical thinking and investigative skills they use daily.
Ortwein, a triple major in Criminal Justice, Human Services, and Psychology, is Director, Bank Secrecy Act and Anti-Money Laundering Investigations for Broadview Credit Union in Alford, Massachusetts. But he didn’t start in the banking industry investigating potential fraud. His first job was street-level policing with the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office before becoming a detective and eventually a financial crimes investigator with the Office of the Attorney’s General in Virginia. There, he began managing people and adopted a “360-degree perspective.”
“What helped in the transition from officer to detective was the ability to communicate and connect with people,” he explained. “Most of the courses at EC had written exams and practicals, which developed the writing and critical-thinking skills I needed to transition into the workforce. Now I’m writing all the time and need to present logical arguments and documented information.”
Preston, a double major in Criminal Justice and Philosophy and Religions, and Brockhuizen, a triple major in Criminal Justice, Political Science, and Legal Studies, headed straight to law school but pursued different branches of the law.
Preston is a lawyer for New York State in the Office for Information Technology Services. She previously worked as a public defender. Her days “never look the same” but she’s often conducting sensitive investigations related to personnel issues. She dreams of arguing a case before the United States Supreme Court.
Brockhuizen will soon wrap up law school and jump into a role with Bond, Schoeneck & King law firm. She’s interested in labor employment and school law, helping all types of schools manage labor disputes, student complaints, contracts, policies, and more.
EC’s integrated curriculum, small class sizes, and supportive faculty gave each of them a “leg up” in law school.
“We learned how to read, think, write, and learn about the criminal justice system, which I found helpful,” explained Brockhuizen. “We covered a lot of theory, which is what is taught in law school. And the way my professors taught forced me to pay attention in class.”
“I think a lot of my fellow law students weren’t comfortable approaching professors,” shared Preston. “On day one, I was fine. I was taught to ask questions and engage at EC, so I was not afraid. It helped me create a stronger relationship with my graduate professors.”
Ortwein, too, benefited from the close bonds he formed with faculty.
“I chose EC for the small community. The coziness of Elmira. And from an educational perspective, it meant we knew our professors more intimately than students at a large, public university,” he said.
The supportive community at EC extended beyond the classroom into clubs, activities, sports, and friends.
“Being a student-athlete, being a COVID college kid, being at a smaller school, and working with professors, coaches, and administrative staff, I learned how to advocate for myself and to put my best foot forward when talking to employers and in my internships,” shared Brochhuizen.
“The best thing I learned at EC was not solely learned in the classroom,” remarked Preston. “It was to advocate for myself. Because how can you advocate for someone else if you can’t advocate for yourself? People think advocating is about standing up for yourself when there’s a problem, but sometimes it’s about getting clarification and getting the info you need. Going to Elmira College was the best choice because it helped me hone my voice before understanding I had one.”
No matter which path Criminal Justice majors from Elmira College choose, whether it’s policing, financial crime investigation, or pursuing one of the many branches of law, they all carry with them the same investigative, critical thinking, and personal advocacy skills that will guide them long after they leave EC.
The Criminal Justice major recently added four concentrations, giving students more options and helping them direct their studies to align with their career aspirations. Concentrations include:
