Victoria Navarro, who is pursuing a major in criminal justice with a minor in sociology at Eastern New Mexico University, will graduate in spring 2019. Learn more about Victoria and her Eastern Experience:

Tell us about yourself:

I was born and raised in Hobbs, New Mexico. I have a younger sister who is also attending Eastern and majoring in history. My mother is a social worker for the schools, and my father is a business owner/manager of an auto glass shop. My hobbies include watching Netflix and hanging out with my two puppies, Layla and Bonnie.

I am a part of the Zeta Tau Alpha sorority [at ENMU]. Within Zeta, I have held numerous positions and have done a lot of volunteer work, mainly working with our philanthropy, Breast Cancer Education and Awareness. I have been a part of the Eastern New Mexico University Spirit Squad for the past four years, three years on the dance team and one year on the cheer team.

Why did you choose criminal justice as your major?

I chose my field of study because of the influence that law enforcement has shown me. Being a crime scene investigator has always been a dream of mine. When I was in the sixth grade, I was given the opportunity to visit a science camp at Texas Tech. We were then put into set science classes, and the class that was given to me was forensics. In this class, we learned about fingerprinting and how to extract DNA from both strawberry cells and cheek cells. From then on my love for forensics and crime scene investigation was born.

What do you hope to pursue in your career?

With my career, I hope to help court cases be more sufficient when using forensic evidence. With my evidence, I hope to put the right people behind bars and the falsely accused to be let go.

Who has helped you during your educational journey at ENMU?

Dr. Kristin Waldo (who is also my advisor) has helped mentor me in choosing my career. Together we were able to put together a clear path for my future. Her help inside and outside of the classroom made me into the student I am today, and for that, I am forever grateful.

Which class has been your favorite so far?

My favorite class at Eastern was the "Criminal Investigations" class and lab. In this class, we were given hands-on experience on how to interpret when a crime scene investigator does their job. Being able to pursue a mock crime scene, take fingerprints and write reports were some of the jobs we learned in this class.

What advice do you have for Greyhounds who are interested in the criminal justice program?

I would encourage students who are interested in criminal justice to start looking where you would like to intern as soon as possible. To not only stay local but to widen your search for the place you would like to intern. So many more opportunities may be opened when you widen your search. To make sure you always have a backup plan and to never just settle. Get help from your professors and advisors and listen to their advice.

What is your favorite part about being a Greyhound?

My favorite part of being a Greyhound is the football games and tailgates. Every Saturday during football season I look forward to my family driving to Portales with their trailer and being able to eat and hang out with them at the tailgates. Eastern holds free movie nights for movies that are about to come out, and the best part about it is even though I missed it at the movies I can always watch it at the CUB. My favorite place to be on campus is at my job in the intramurals office. Not only am I taking care of my job there but it is flexible enough to let me work on homework and keep up with school.