Next step: career in cybersecurity or intelligence
Edison, New Jersey, is a bit far from Ada, Ohio, but Rachel Woran wanted to go away from home so she could meet new people and discover new places.
"At ONU, I appreciated the small classes that enabled me to make close connections with my peers and professors," she said.
Woran majored in criminal justice and minored in computer science and data analytics. She was involved with the Asian American Student Union (AASU), Japanese Student Organization and Religious Life. Of these, the AASU was especially enjoyable, she says, because “I was able to find so many people and become friends with them. I also enjoyed doing Asian activities and sharing my culture with people who were curious.”
During an internship with the Hancock County Adult Probation and the Courthouse in Findlay, Woran was able to apply what she learned in her criminal justice classes to real life.
“I assisted probation officers with writing summaries of police reports, bench warrants, terminations and more,” she says. “I even had the chance to assist one of the judges and other workers at the courthouse.”
Being involved with ONU’s criminal justice research lab gave Woran the opportunity to look through data relating to criminal justice. “I believe this opportunity perfectly connected my major and minors and gave me an insight into the criminal justice system.”
She added: “I was inspired by 9/11 and all the people working in law enforcement because of how they risk their lives to save others. I have always wanted to be in a field that dealt with protecting other people. It is reassuring to have someone who could protect you from trouble, and I want to be that someone.”