By LYNETTE SOWELL
Cove Leader-Press
The Anderson Campus Center conference room was nearly standing room only at last Friday morning’s graduation of the Bravo class from Central Texas College’s Police Academy. The class of 24 cadets had the highest graduating grade point average in the 60-year history of the academy.
Dr. Michelle Carter, chancellor, addressed the graduates and she expressed gratitude to the faculty, staff, and families who supported the cadets.
She highlighted the importance of integrity, excellence, and service in law enforcement, referencing the Book of Isaiah, chapter six, verse eight, “Also, I heard the voice, voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send and who will go for us?’ Then said I, ‘Here am I, send me.’ When I reflect on this scripture, I think about you. So thank you for courageously answering the call to law enforcement, a critical member of the first responder team and the oath to protect and serve your communities.
“During the presentation of your certificates, I will also present you with my coin, the Chancellor’s coin. Symbolically, it is a challenge coin. On the one side, I am acknowledging your accomplishment in completing the program and your courageous decision to pursue an honorable career in law enforcement. On the other side of the coin are character traits that I value, both personally and professionally. I charge you to continue exemplifying these character traits throughout your career.
“Number one, integrity, doing what’s right, even when no one is looking. Remain strong in your moral and ethical conditions. Number two, excellence. Perform your duties at the highest level. Third, service. As a public servant, I encourage you to always serve the honor and respect for yourself and for others.”
Andrew Flores, Chief of Police at Texas A&M University Central Texas, served as the keynote speaker.
He likewise emphasized the importance of integrity, service, and excellence in policing. The graduating class was encouraged to strive for excellence in their service, embodying values like fairness, compassion, and respect. Chief Flores highlighted the challenges officers face and advised them to remember their commitment to justice and community.
“Always go back to your ‘why.’ Remember the people you swore to serve, the oath you took to uphold justice. Strive to be a police officer who deescalates, who protects the vulnerable, who treats all people, regardless of their background, with dignity. Strive to learn continuously, to mentor those who follow, to never stop evolving in your craft.”
The class president, Brennden T. Ward, spoke to his classmates and fellow graduates.
“It is inevitable that disagreements and tension filled moments will occur when dealing with the public. We will be heavily scrutinized and expect to be certain humans and make mistakes. Despite all that, it doesn’t change the fact that we are needed for all thoughts of respect, empathy and unity during those difficult moments, because, after all, we are not enemies, but friends, and we have to believe that achieving common ground is reachable, even though passion appears to be very strained right now.
“My class knows by now that I made a pretty big career change to be here. I was from the mental health field, actually for about 10 or 11 years, and I decided to come to law enforcement. And for many years, a reoccurring question continued to weigh on me. And my question was, what more could I be doing right now that will allow me to make a bigger impact on my community tomorrow? Throughout this academy, my emotions and my thoughts surrounding my decision to make this were very up and down, and that weighed on me a lot, especially in the beginning, when everything was so new. But lucky for me, I was around some great cadets that kept me on the positive path toward a greater goal.
“We have inspired people themselves more than ever. We need those better angels of our nature to show courage to do as necessary in order to see positive progress in our world. And those better angels are every single one of you guys.
“The more I’ve been around you guys, the more I realized how lucky your agencies are to have you on the force fighting this good fight. You were all you all were not forced to be here. You chose to be here to further your careers. But most importantly, we have shown you already a set of positive examples.
He also reminded them to take care of their mental health.
“In closing, I can’t stress this enough, and I’ll put on my previous career hat for a second. Please take care of yourselves. Seriously, please take care of yourselves and seek assistance when needed. If you’re unable to reach out to anyone within your department, reach out to me. Reach out to someone in this class. We’re in this together, and we have been for the last six months, and I hope that continues.”
The Charlie Class and Delta Class of CTC’s Basic Peace Officer Course are currently in progress. Applications for the Alpha Class are now being accepted through the close of business on December 19, 2025. The class begins on January 12, 2026. For more information or to apply, visit www.ctcd.edu and search “Police Academy.”
Graduates include: Zachariah L. Bond (Brownwood Police Department), Victoria N. Box (Lampasas Police Department), Pete Carrion III (Williamson County Sheriff’s Office), Juan C. Castro (Independent), Joshua Y. Diede- Top Gun Award (Cedar Park Police Department), Andreana L. Ellis (Llano County Sheriff’s Office), Sean M. Frick (Williamson County Sheriff’s Office), Joseph A. Gallegos (TAMUCT Police Department), Savannah M. Griggs- Honor Graduate (Cedar Park Police Department), Jonathan M. Guilbe (Austin ISD Police Department), Alyssa T. Hargis (Bell County Sheriff’s Office), Esther Lopez (Brownwood Police Department), Angel E. Munoz (Independent), Jason G. Olivar (Gatesville Police Department), Darrin W. Ramsey (Gatesville Police Department), Hillary L. Reyna (Burnet County Sheriff’s Office), Enegue D. Rudnick (Bell County Sheriff’s Office), Kourtney M. Schwertner (Williamson County Sheriff’s Office), De’Quan S. Seda– Top Gear Award (Harris County Constables Office Precinct #4), Jared R. Tipton (Harker Heights Police Department), Devan M. Tunner (Independent), Brennden T. Ward– Class President (Cedar Park Police Department), TaMinka C. Watford (Belton Police Department) and Bruce E. Young Jr. (Williamson County Sheriff’s Office).
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