Celebrating Star Public Safety Administration Graduates

The Public Safety Administration program (PSAD) graduates its first full class of students this May, and it is a stellar group. The program started as an initial experiment with two students, Omar Riquelme and Daniel Perez, who were later joined by Marieta Ghantarchyan. All three completed the program in December. PSAD celebrates these December graduates along with 11 more students who are entering diverse professional fields, from public safety to law. We are excited to share the accomplishments of a few of the program’s star students.

Maria Hovakimyan has come from being a nervous first year student to being a future lawyer. She faced her initial nervousness with aplomb, challenging herself to get involved on campus by taking an on-campus job, joining ASWU as a marketing intern, and joining Phi Sigma Sigma where she also obtained leadership positions. She notes that her Phi Sigma Sigma experience helped her gain more confidence and acquire transferable skills like time management, communication skills, and professionalism that she can use in her future profession. The PSAD program was also transformative. She liked that the professors had law enforcement and legal backgrounds. “I think it has been beneficial for our class to have their questions answered first-hand regarding the fields they are interested in and to have professors who are so passionate about their classes and care about their students.” As for Maria, Dr. Schockman describes her as an “effervescent cheerful receptor of knowledge” who will undoubtedly have a successful law career.

Many PSAD students strive to apply the program’s standout focus on community relations and social justice to new careers in policing. To fulfill her PSAD internship requirement, Danielle Roque chose to work for the Glendale Police Department (GPD) as a police cadet. She enjoyed the experience so much she continued the position, which provided her with exposure to many aspects of police work, such as ride-alongs, report writing, suspect/victim interviews, and the handling and packaging of evidence. GPD officers told Danielle that the PSAD degree, coupled with her minor in Professional Writing, would aid her success in the department. “I’ve enjoyed my time as a PSAD student, especially because of the professors who continue to be active in their respective criminal justice professions.” She plans to join the Glendale Police Academy this summer.

Justin Reyes wants to enter a career in law enforcement to become a role model for his community. He identifies PSAD’s interactive classes and internship opportunities as key to his decision to pursue a career with the CHP. “The mentoring from our instructors and advisers has prepared me to take the next step of my life,” Justin says. And while he ran into many challenges during his tenure at Woodbury, he cherishes the great memories he made and his “best friends at Woodbury, who helped me through it all.”

Here is a full list of the PSAD class of 2022. Congrats!

• Maria Hovakimyan
• Jose Jimenez
• Sebastian Lemus
• Jamie Lyon
• Aaron Maldonado
• Karen Monge
• Justin Reyes
• Danielle Roque
• Meline Safaryan
• Aranza Villegas

December 2021 graduates:

• Marieta Ghantarchyan
• Daniel Perez
• Omar Riquelme

Last Updated on May 6, 2022.