From Freshman to Senior Year

by Stephanie D., Panther Blogger

Going into my freshman year at Ferrum College, I never thought I would succeed as much as I did.  Freshman year is all about adjustment to life on your own, new people, and new living conditions.  Luckily, this was all made very easy by the faculty and staff.  I've been a cheerleader since my freshman year, and playing a sport really got me on track.  Not only did it get me on campus a week early, which helped me learn the college better, but it also provided structure in my day-to-day routine.  I was able to attend team study halls, which helped with my grades, and I made friends with upperclassmen.

Now, it's my senior year and I have been accepted into Radford University's Criminal Justice Graduate Program!  I could not have done this without the preparation that Ferrum has given me. The outstanding resources, the academic atmosphere, and the faculty who helped me get to where I wanted to be really showed me that dreams could come true.  I am so thankful for the experience that Ferrum gave me as an undergraduate that I would recommend Ferrum to any and every senior in high school I meet.

From freshman year to senior year, there were bumps along the way, but at Ferrum, the motto is "Not Self, But Others" and this was implemented by my peers and professors to help me succeed and get the most I could out of my education.  I couldn't be more excited to graduate and further my education at Radford, but I will truly be heartbroken when I miss Ferrum because this is where I found who I'm supposed to be.  I can't wait to call myself a Ferrum alumna!

Ferrum College Found Me - An Introduction to New Blogger Rebecca!

by Rebecca M., Panther Blogger

Hey everyone!  My name is Rebecca and I am currently a junior at Ferrum College.  I am a Liberal Arts major and am double-minoring in Elementary Education and Criminal Justice.  I'm from Richmond, Virginia.

I went to a small high school, so I wanted a college in which I felt like I was a student and not just an identification number.  I looked at a variety of different colleges and was not really sure that any of them were for me. I got a call from the Ferrum Admissions office about a potential scholarship offer. When I had applied to Ferrum, I had never even heard of it. After looking into Ferrum College, I decided I needed to come and check it out. After coming for a visit, I fell in LOVE with Ferrum and it was exactly what I was looking for!

After switching my major for the fourth...or fifth time, I decided that Elementary Education was the right major for me.  One of the things I love about Ferrum is that with every education class, there is an internship involved.  I am able to get into the classroom and see first-hand what it is like to be a teacher as well as how much education has changed since I was in elementary school.

I am involved in a few activities on campus as well. I am in the Scholars in Residence Program, which requires having a certain GPA and attending one educational or community service event each month.  I also have a work-study job and am a freshman seminar mentor, and an orientation team member (I was an O-Team Captain last year).

As I always say to my friends:  Bye for now, be safe, and make good choices!

Learning Abnormal Psychology for Criminal Justice

by Stephanie D., Panther Blogger

My favorite class this semester is Abnormal Psychology with Dr. Dahl.  It is a really interesting class and it teaches me a lot about people who have various disorders.  It's important to understand these disorders in the Criminal Justice field.  As a student in that field, I would imagine that these disorders have much to do with the crimes that are committed every day.  Learning about Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), anxiety, eating disorders, and many other disorders that many people suffer from is very helpful in my other Criminal Justice and Sociology classes.  Understanding why people commit crimes is half of understanding criminal justice.  In order to understand civilians, we need to take classes such as Abnormal Psychology and be able to recognize the typical struggles that people face from day to day.

Introduction to New Blogger Stephanie!

by Stephanie D., Panther Blogger


My name is Stephanie and I am a senior at Ferrum College. I have studied at Ferrum for the past three years, and as I head into my fourth year, I plan to graduate with a bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice with an emphasis in Criminology and minors in sociology and accounting.  My favorite hobby is reading and my favorite book is Reconstructing Amelia by Kimberly McCreight.  I have been a cheerleader for almost 13 years. I have a brother who is a sophomore at Villanova University.  My family is my support system and without them, I wouldn't be the person and student I am today.

I am involved in many things on campus.  I am a captain on the Ferrum cheerleading squad, an active sister in Theta Gamma Omega, a PAL (peer assisted learning) tutor for accounting 201, and a member of the Criminal Justice Club.  I'm from Chesapeake, Virginia and an alumni of Hickory High School.  After graduating, I plan to attend graduate school and study for a master's degree in either criminology or something related to criminal justice.  I have not decided on the school I would like to attend and I am currently studying for the GRE.




I'm also a resident assistant at Ferrum College and absolutely love my job!  I chose to attend Ferrum College because of the beautiful campus and scenery change!  Going from the beach to the mountains is something I look forward to every year.  Ferrum has changed my life and I am so thankful that I am a student here.  I have benefited very much from the small classroom sizes and the individual attention I can seek when I need it.  There are many resources for students that have helped me immensely, such as the math center and writing center.

This past summer, I studied abroad through an E-Term course and had the time of my life!  I went to Belize for 15 days and it changed my outlook on life.  I can't thank Ferrum enough for all it has prepared me for and all it has instilled in me.  I am looking forward to being able to call myself an alumna of Ferrum College and continuing to do what Ferrum has prepared me for:  going after my dreams and not settling for anything less!

Hello Readers!

by Sarah H., Panther Blogger

My name is Sarah!  I'm currently enrolled as a sophomore here at Ferrum College and double majoring in Criminal Justice and Social Work.  I was born and raised in Christiansburg, VA and love living in the mountains!  I have quite a big family that lives all over, and they're all a big part of my life. My friends back home and the many friends I've met here at Ferrum have made living away from home so much easier.

At first, I had only heard of Ferrum College once or twice.  After getting a phone call from them regarding a scholarship, I decided to check it out...man, was that worth it!  The moment I arrived on campus, I knew this was the place for me.  It felt so much like home and everyone I met made it just that much more worth it!  My admissions counselor gave me a tour around campus.  At the end of the day, both my mom and I knew that this was the campus for me.  I was ready to spend the next four years here!

My family and I on move-in day!

During the tour, I met Dr. Mead and Dr. Osborne.  While talking to Dr. Mead, I not only found a professor who was familiar with my hometown, but I met an amazing professor who has helped guide me through my first year of college.  When I was applying for college, I had NO IDEA what it was that I wanted to do.  After meeting and talking with Dr. Osborne, I have finally figure it out.  I am now gearing toward becoming a Juvenile Corrections Officer!

Although Ferrum isn't in the middle of a big city, there is much to do on campus!  I stay busy with many different organizations and clubs. I am currently a part of the Criminal Justice Club, Social Work Club, our new Color Guard team, and Journalism.  There is also a shuttle that goes to and from Roanoke, so there's plenty to do!

Best friend & I running Color Me Rad in Blacksburg

Not only do I have a few friends from back home here at Ferrum, I have made so many new friends!  They've all become such a huge part of my life and I always miss them so much over breaks.  The best part is that they're always only a phone call away!

Ferrum has been such a life-changing experience, and I hope you enjoy it as well!

Criminal Profiling & Other Criminal Justice Classes

by Victoria B., Panther Blogger

Ferrum's Criminal Justice program offers a variety of different and interesting classes.  My favorite class that I am currently taking is Criminal Profiling.  I took this class because I love to watch shows like Criminal Minds.  This class makes you think differently than other criminal justice classes.  You learn about trying to solve crimes by using psychological means.  I am interested in this class because I also have Psychology and Sociology minors.

The Criminal Justice program offers different classes for students who wish to go into the different areas of the Criminal Justice field.  There are classes in Forensic Science, Police Administration, Juvenile Justice, and many others.  This is a great advantage because the program offers students the opportunity to learn about many different topics in the criminal justice fields.

If you are planning on coming to Ferrum to major or minor in Criminal Justice, I suggest taking as many different classes in the subject as you can. The idea of what you want to do after you graduate from college may change many times throughout your years here, so having knowledge in many areas can help you determine which area you want to pursue.

Hello from New Panther Blogger Sam!

by Sam B., Panther Blogger

I am a small town boy from Floyd County, Virginia.  I plan on earning a bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice with a minor in Sociology.  I want to be a police officer in Richmond for 3-5 years when I will apply for federal jobs.  I hope to work for the Secret Service.

My sister, Rachel, went to Ferrum during my senior year of high school.  Ferrum's tennis coach came to Floyd to watch me play and did his best to recruit me.  I decided to come to a Panther Preview and I loved it.  The idea of Ferrum being a small community really appealed to me.

The best part about Ferrum is that the teachers actually care about the students and how they are doing in classes and even outside of class.  Being from a small town, this was very important for me. Ferrum has done a great job by providing me with opportunities to listen to professionals speak about the field I would like to enter; these professionals give myself and other CJU majors some tips on how to get to where we want to go.

I am involved in as many activities as my schedule can possibly handle.  I am in the Boone Honors Program, a Lions Branch Club member, a Ferrum tennis player, a member of the Honors Advisory Council, an Admissions Ambassador, just recently a Panther Blogger, and I participated in the Freshman Scholars Program.  I also have a work-study job at the Ferrum YMCA, where I was recently awarded Employee of the Month after my first month of work there.  The only other activity that I plan on joining next year is the Criminal Justice Club.

I already have many great memories with my friends and teammates at Ferrum.  My favorite memory was traveling and playing in my first tennis match as a collegiate player during my first fall semester.

- Sam

Adjusting To Life At College

BY VICTORIA, PANTHER BLOGGER

Graduating from high school and deciding to attend college is a huge change in a young person’s life. Making new friends is an essential part of the college student lifestyle. The Criminal Justice Program here at Ferrum College helped me to make many new friends that have the same major or minor as I do.

When you are a freshman at Ferrum, you are required to take a class called Gateway Seminar. This is basically your “welcome to college class.” You meet your classmates from your Gateway class on the first weekend that you arrive at Ferrum. These students are typically those who have the same area of study as you do. For example, my Gateway class was filled with mostly Criminal Justice majors, and I also had a Criminal Justice professor for my teacher. This teacher was, and still is, my advisor to whom I go to when I need help deciding which classes to take or making other decisions that college students are frequently faced with. The friends that I made in Gateway have remained my friends throughout my college career so far. I have had many other classes with them due to the fact that we all need most of the same classes to get our degrees. Meeting these other students on your first weekend here helps you adjust more easily to your other classes when they begin because you will already know some of the other students who are in them.

Clubs also give you an outlet in which to help you make friends and adjust to college.

During the last weekend in March, some friends and I from Ferrum’s Criminal Justice Club had a great time working at the NASCAR race at the Martinsville Speedway, located about 33 miles south of Ferrum College.

The Criminal Justice Club helped me meet many upperclassmen from my major who gave me advice about certain classes and teachers. It is very useful to get advice from those who have already been in the position you are in and have learned from their mistakes. They can help you to not make the same bad decision that they made.

Being part of the Criminal Justice Club also helped me to become closer with the other members because we spend a lot of time together working on projects or other activities, along with attending conventions. Conventions also allow you to make new friends from all over the country while also gaining valuable knowledge in your field of study. Pictured on the right are my friends Ben and Ashley, and I in Graceland at a criminal justice convention.
Becoming involved in clubs and activities that are related to your major are great opportunities that Ferrum College offers its students. My advice to all the incoming new students is to become involved in as many clubs and organizations as possible during your years here at Ferrum. You will meet a lot of new friends and open doors to many opportunities.

Opportunities with the Criminal Justice Club

BY VICTORIA, PANTHER BLOGGER

The Criminal Justice Club offers many opportunities for Criminal Justice majors and minors to gain experience and learn more about the different careers in the field. For example, when the club attends national or regional conventions, members are given opportunities to have ride-alongs with police officers, participate in mock crime scene investigations, and meet some very influential professionals within the criminal justice field.

The connections that club members like me make with the field professionals give us an upper edge in getting employed in the field after we finish our education. We can meet FBI agents, police officers, crime scene investigators, and many other members in the field at these conferences. We learn first-hand about the aspects of each of these jobs so that we can be more educated in making our career choice. Meeting these professionals and hearing what they had to say about their occupations has helped me to narrow down my choices in deciding what I want to do within the criminal justice system.

If it were not for the Criminal Justice Club, I would not have learned as much about the different career paths within the field as I know now. The club fundraises throughout the year in order to obtain money to attend the conventions, which help members gain experience and knowledge that cannot be merely learned in a classroom. The conventions also give me the opportunity to travel to different parts of the country. So far, I have visited Nashville, Tennessee and New Haven, Connecticut with the club. During these trips, we have visited the University of Yale, the Mississippi River, and many other places. The club’s convention trips are an all-around great and beneficial experience!

Greetings from Ferrum College Student Blogger, Victoria!

BY VICTORIA, A PANTHER BLOGGER 

I am Victoria and I am a sophomore at Ferrum College. I am studying criminal justice as my major with minors in psychology and sociology. I would like to use my education in these fields to eventually work in the federal law system.

I come from a small town called Claudville, Virginia which is about an hour south of Ferrum. One of the main reasons that I chose to attend Ferrum College is that it was close to my hometown and was also the same type of setting that I was raised in. I found out about Ferrum through one of my friends who is currently a junior at the college. She told me about Ferrum and invited me to visit it for a weekend, and I knew from that point that Ferrum was the college for me.

I love the atmosphere and beautiful scenery around the Ferrum College campus. I also liked that it is a small school, which means that it is easier for professors to interact and help the students in their classes. The professors at Ferrum College have been more than helpful to me in making important decisions about my future and with simple tasks, such as helping with an assignment. Professors here are always willing to help students with anything that they need and to offer suggestions to students on how they can improve their work.

In addition to attending classes at Ferrum, I am also a student ambassador and a very active member of the Criminal Justice Club. The Criminal Justice Club, along with my classes, has provided me with many useful connections with people that could help me to get a job after I graduate. The club and classes have also helped me gain a lot of knowledge and experience about the criminal justice field. I believe that Ferrum College is doing a great job at preparing me for my future while also offering me many opportunities to be involved in campus and community activities. Ferrum College has provided me with many memories of spending time with new friends that will last a lifetime!