by Josh Sukraw
Bishop Ward High School welcomed back Judge Aaron Roberts, class of 1996, as guest speaker for the school’s Junior Police Academy graduation on Wednesday, May 18.
With the hard work of the JPA sponsor, Officer Santiago Vasquez, this class has grown each graduation, with 38 students completing it this year.
Judge Roberts spoke to the students about his path to becoming a district judge and how important it is to be a contributing citizen in the community. His speech reinforced what they learned as students in the program where they had a chance to meet people who work in public safety and gained a better understanding of their role as a citizen.
“Each year this program has grown and this year was no different,” Officer Vasquez said. “This year was especially unique as we had the opportunity to go on multiple field trips and talk about current events such as the legalization of cannabis in Colorado and use of force by police officers. The students gained a lot of valuable life lessons out of this year and I am proud of each of them.”
Students had the opportunity to go on two field trips this year, one to the Wyandotte County jail and a second to headquarters of the Kansas City, Kan., Police Department, the office of the Wyandotte County District Attorney, and the Juvenile District Court, where the students visited with Judge Delia York, class of 1995.
This marks the fourth year of the Junior Police Academy at Bishop Ward High School and fits into the mission of the school as they prepare students to one day contribute back to their community, a spokesman said.
Josh Sukraw is marketing and social media manager at Bishop Ward High School.