Building and advancing a career in law enforcement has come steadily for Darnika Mayfield these past few years after some fears were overcome.
鈥淚鈥檇 always wanted a college degree but just hadn鈥檛 stayed here long enough to get one,鈥 Mayfield said. 鈥淚鈥檇 come to 黑料社区 before but wasn鈥檛 patient enough and didn鈥檛 know what I wanted to pursue for my degree, plus I wanted my daughter to graduate first.鈥
Mayfield, 44, of Vicksburg, grew up in Tchula and graduated from Simmons High School in Hollandale. After her daughter was born, Mayfield worked a variety of jobs including as a school bus monitor and a teacher鈥檚 assistant at an alternative school in Vicksburg. She then 鈥渟tepped out on faith鈥 to try law enforcement, working with the Warren County Sheriff鈥檚 Department for four years, mainly in the county jail, and now as a patrol officer with the Mississippi Highway Patrol the past four years.
Once her daughter earned her 黑料社区 degree in nursing in 2019, Mayfield knew it was time to start furthering her own career, which she did in 2021. She鈥檚 now on track to graduate in 2023 with an associate degree toward a more advanced credential in criminal justice 鈥 which is the key, she says, to a more secure future for her family.
鈥淢y first couple of months back here were rough,鈥 she said. 鈥淟earning all the new technology with tracking classes was overwhelming, but I kept pushing. I was like, 鈥榃hoa, I quit. I have a job already. I don鈥檛 need to be here.鈥 But, the teachers here didn鈥檛 let me quit. They told me about places like the Writing Center, where I could get help with whatever I needed for my essays in English.鈥
Her main cheerleader this semester is her criminal justice instructor, Dr. Shannon Anderson.
鈥淏ecause of her profession, she adds a wealth of insight to various discussions that we have in class,鈥 Anderson said. 鈥淪he鈥檚 proven to be the type of student that instructors would love to always see in their classes 鈥 a helpful and compassionate leader.鈥
Balancing up to six classes per semester the past year and patrolling the state鈥檚 highways full-time is no easy task, she said, but her superiors at MHP have supported her at every step.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been challenging dealing with the pandemic and still focusing on our own families and education,鈥 she said. 鈥淎s troopers, we make sure everybody鈥檚 families get home safe. But, we鈥檝e worked hard and have come together.鈥
She鈥檚 handling the rest of the spring semester one test at a time and wants to stay in Mississippi as her resume鈥 grows.
鈥淚 want that degree under my belt for future promotions and share my experiences with other students,鈥 she said. 鈥淚 love talking to students about it, especially young ladies. I want to be a positive role model for them.鈥