While he was always interested in state police law enforcement, Shane Bowes '20, '22 (M) decided to pursue higher education to achieve this goal after attending a student trooper program through the American Legion and Massachusetts State Police. During his college search, Bowes sought out a university that offered a program to complete his bachelor's and master's degrees in an accelerated format.

While completing his master's degree in criminal justice and cybersecurity with a concentration in leadership, Bowes appreciated the opportunities to professionally network with students, faculty and staff. "I gained a lot from my classmates within the graduate classes," he said. "Everyone combined the academics with their personal experiences and work experience."

Bowes also enjoyed the holistic-minded leadership and counseling courses he took at Salve Regina, which he said helped him prepare for the demands of law enforcement. "I knew that I'd be met with days of extreme stress and compiled trauma, so I wanted to seek opportunities to create strategies to manage these feelings," Bowes added.

When he began his master's program, Bowes was already in the hiring process for the Connecticut state trooper program. While it took around 6-7 months, he eventually attained his goal of being invited to the academy. "You are in the academy for 28 to 30 weeks, Monday through Friday," Bowes said. "It's long days of rigorous, physical and emotional stress with physical and academic training. You are challenged in every way possible to be transformed from a civilian into a state trooper."

Coming out of the academy, Bowes was assigned to work in Troop D, which patrols 13 towns in northeastern Connecticut. Troopers in this group typically respond to local 911 emergency calls for service and conduct investigations on the road. Bowes is also a member of the Honor Guard Unit and the recruit mentoring program for Connecticut State Police recruits attending the academy.

He is also undergoing training to become a State Troopers Offering Peer Support (STOPS) peer contact. Part of the Connecticut State Police's wellness program, STOPS peer contacts are a source of contact for any state police trooper seeking confidential conversation and additional services. "I will be offering support and promoting overall wellness for Connecticut state troopers undergoing stress and trauma on their jobs," Bowes said.

Reflecting on his time at Salve Regina, Bowes said that his education in the Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology helped him prepare for his current role in the Connecticut State Police, and also credited his holistic leadership and counseling courses for helping him to manage stress and trauma on the job and continue his mentorship role.

Salve Regina's mercy mission was a cornerstone of his experience. "Having those humanitarian values instilled throughout my education has allowed me to be more comfortable in providing empathetic service to victims," Bowes said. "Salve is fostering a harmonious, just, and merciful perspective on life. It was interesting to see this in the context of the law enforcement field, as it shaped the way I problem solve now in my everyday work."