Statesman Scholar Angela Lyons

Working in law enforcement is in Angela Lyons’ blood, and she found her path to a career in it at Richard Bland College of William & Mary.

“My dad is a police chaplain, and I’ve gone to the department with him,” Lyons explains. “I have always had an interest in investigations, and I would love to work for the FBI.”

As a high school senior, the Chester native had four acceptance letters from colleges throughout Virginia but was still not certain where she wanted to go. Speaking with family friends who had attended RBC prompted her to take a closer look at the school practically in her own backyard.

“I feel like the campus fits my personality,” she says. “I’m a laid-back, reserved kind of person. The campus fits you if you’re still undecided. You still get the regular four-year college experience but downsized. There’s more one-on-one interaction than you would get at a four-year school, so you develop a better relationship with your professors.”

A childhood dream came true thanks to a relationship Lyons also formed with the nightshift security officer at the dorm where she was a Resident Assistant. In the summer of 2018, Officer Mark Williams connected Lyons with internship opportunities at both the Petersburg and Richmond Police Departments.

“During my ride alongs, I was able to get an inside look of the typical day of an officer which allowed me to see things from a simple traffic ticket to high priority calls where I was on an active shooting scene,” Lyons recounts. “The adrenaline that ran through my body each time a call was dispatched out to us confirmed that this was something I wanted to do.”

Now a forensic science major at RBC, Lyons appreciates the support she receives from the campus community and the classes available.

“Especially since I’ve taken criminology last semester with Professor Jena Morrison, she kind of understands the route that I’m taking,” Lyons says. “She’s given me different websites to look at and contact information, so I have plenty of resources.”

Through the guaranteed transfer program, Lyons will attend VCU after graduating from RBC in May 2019.

She will carry her experiences as a Student Ambassador and a member of the Student Conduct Board with her as she continues her collegiate journey.

“I am really happy I started out at RBC,” she says.