BRCC ADJ: A Solid Foundation for Those Who Protect and Serve

A career in law enforcement can present different challenges every day. For Staunton Police Officer Yuliya Forloines, that fact is one of the best things about police work.

“The beauty of the job is that every day is different,” she says. “You find yourself in different situations and you have to see what will work. Of all the tools you have as a police officer, sometimes the biggest one is your voice, your ability to communicate with people, to really listen.”

The 2015 graduate of BRCC’s Administration of Justice program also has law enforcement and service in her blood. Her father is former military and two family members were officers killed in the line of duty. “It’s something I’ve always watched family members do,” says Yuliya. “Women in my family were typically teachers but I wanted something different.”

Originally from Russia, Yuliya moved to the US in 2002. She had a degree in English from a university there. She took about 10 years to get her US citizenship, and decided to go back to school at Blue Ridge in 2011. Like many BRCC students, she was working and raising a child along with her coursework, but the perseverance was worth it.

“It took longer than I’d hoped but I stuck with it. I had a young child at home and worked full time so I had to manage time wisely,” she recalls. “My advice to other students is don’t get behind. Stay on top of things but don’t quit. Even if you have to take fewer credits.”

Yuliya has been with the Staunton Police for a year. Previously, she worked in corrections for two years. She says her ADJ courses were a good foundation to prepare her for the 18-week Criminal Justice Training Academy program. “I appreciated the approachable professors at BRCC,” she says. “Material was presented in an organized fashion. It was a good foundation and everything is built on that. Each law enforcement agency is different in structure, but having that solid foundation is important.”

Continuing to learn and being open to further training is important to Yuliya. When her supervisors asked if she wanted to become bike certified, she said sure. When the opportunity to take crisis intervention training came along, she took that, too.

“Education is the one thing no one can take away from you,” she says. “You can lose your job, or your house, or whatever, but once you have your education, it goes beyond that piece of paper. Education is always a plus. It gives you an advantage in a very competitive world. The more you can put on your resume, the better off you are.”