UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.- Across Penn State's 31 Division I varsity sports, student-athletes juggle the daily challenge of managing their time between class schedules, practices and games related to their sport, and the added challenge of trying to participate in extracurriculars related to their major.
Even though many college students arrive on-campus unsure of their career aspirations, junior Morgan Rolph (Mitchell, Ontario) knew the passion she wanted to pursue dating back to her time at St. Michael's Catholic Secondary School in Canada. She wants to help people, and as a criminology major, she wants to be a police officer.
"In high school, I actually did a police co-op," Rolph said. "I always fought with myself between being a police officer or a lawyer. And I actually worked in both fields in my senior year of high school, and I just really fell in love with being a community officer."
She thought about becoming a teacher as well, and recalled how police officers would come into her elementary school. Their message was simply to be a respectable person towards others, something she tried to take to heart with her two siblings at home.
Rolph has two brothers, one older and one younger. She has never been overprotective, but she doesn't shy away from trying to make sure they don't get into mischief.
"My younger brother is actually like 6'3, so I don't step in front of him, but I am one of those people that I'm protective as well," Rolph said.
"So, my little brother is larger than me, but I always find myself being like a mama bear to him. Even when he plays hockey, someone can hit him and I'll just freak out, but that's part of the game, so it's just funny how that happens."
Rolph built off her passion to help others by trying to learn what it takes, both in high school and now at Penn State. She has created relationships with officers both in Happy Valley and back home, by seeing what they experience day-to-day.
"One thing I have been doing with the University Park Police is doing ride-alongs," Rolph said.
"It's not super intense because it's usually a weeknight when everybody's studying because we're usually gone on weekends. It's great learning why they decided to be a police officer, especially when I talk to female officers because it is a very male dominated occupation."
Rolph said the craziest ride-along she's been on board for came back in Canada.
"There was an incident where there was an attempted murder over an argument," Rolph said.
"It was fascinating to see the investigation process and how people with weapons are handled, how victims are handled and when paramedics come, how we have to protect them. There's other aspects coming in that you look at including witnesses, as well as dealing with the crime scene investigation."
Rolph accredits much of her knowledge to both real-life experiences, and courses within her major like CRIM 435 and 453. The former discusses the different types of policing, and looks at their effectiveness in certain areas, while the latter looks at some of the prejudice that can be displayed toward women in the justice system.
"I don't want to be a police officer to harm other people or to fight all the crimes of the world," Rolph said. "I want to be a police officer to help people and to build and establish relationships within that community so people aren't scared to call the police and people aren't scared to come up to an officer, but instead have that community-policing based approach."
Just as Rolph had guests in her elementary school, head coach Jeff Kampersal noted this week that his team will be making similar appearances within the community as the holiday break approaches next week.
"I know, coming up during the Thanksgiving week, we'll volunteer in the morning, for some of the soup kitchens. We'll also do different readings in elementary schools, while they have those opportunities with some time off."
Rolph also volunteers with the U-12 girls hockey team that practices at Pegula on Monday nights, as well as Meals on Wheels, an organization that operates out of the Grace Lutheran Church in State College.
Between taking classes, grinding through one of the longest seasons for a collegiate sport, and volunteering in the community, Rolph said the biggest key to staying on top of it all is sheer time management.
"I like to be a week in advance with all my assignments and school work," Rolph said. "So, if there's paper due this Friday, I try to have it done by last Friday, so I'm a week ahead. If there's a chance I have to miss a day, or we're gone for an away trip, I'm always ahead of the game."
Staying ahead of the game both on the ice and in her future career will only lead to great things. And she's well on her way to achieving that success in both.
