Cammie Crouse ’25 did not always plan to become a police officer. She certainly didn’t expect to stay in Beaver Falls after graduation when she first arrived on Geneva’s campus. God, however, had other plans.

Finding Her Path: Family

Cammie’s connection to Geneva began long before she became a student herself.

Two of her four older siblings, Emily Crouse ’15 and Abigail (Crouse) Conrad ’18, attended Geneva, and Cammie remembers coming to campus as a child to hear her sisters perform in the marching band and sitting in the stands at Geneva football games.

That family connection was strong enough that Cammie considered few other colleges. When she was accepted to Geneva, she was eager to enroll — even though she had never made a formal campus visit.

When she arrived on campus, Cammie discovered that her family’s connection to both Geneva and Beaver Falls went deeper than she had realized.

As family stories surfaced, she learned that her mother had been born and raised in Beaver Falls. She also discovered that her grandfather, Daniel Loncar ’96, and her aunt, Jennifer (Lindner) Hammers ’00, had attended Geneva. She jokes, “I must not have been asking the right questions” to find out these details before.

Finding Her Path: Career

Another aunt helped shape Cammie’s career interests. Hearing stories from her aunt’s work sparked Cammie’s interest in criminal justice. When she began her studies at Geneva, she pictured herself perhaps becoming a pathologist or crime scene examiner.

Cammie’s plans adjusted as she was mentored by professors in the department. helped her to find her route as a police officer through suggesting she participate in ride-alongs, which gave her a firsthand look at the work of law enforcement officers.

Her advisor, Stephanie Schindel, associate professor of psychology and social services, showed Cammie how studies in those fields could build her understanding. Cammie added a second major in social services and a minor in psychology.

Then, Cammie did an internship with the Beaver Falls Police Department during her senior year. She liked both the officers she worked alongside and the pace of the department. A year later when she graduated from the Pennsylvania Municipal Police Academy and discovered she had the opportunity to return to Beaver Falls as an officer, she was interested.

The department had traditionally preferred candidates with at least two years of experience, but opened opportunities for newer officers as well. Cammie’s academic record and previous experience with the department helped commend her to the team.

For Cammie, joining an active department has meant gaining significant experience quickly. While some of her academy classmates are still primarily assigned to traffic duties, Cammie has already encountered a broad range of responsibilities.

That opportunity also comes with high expectations. During her first year, she is serving as a probationary officer and working to become both proficient and efficient across the many responsibilities the job requires.

Prepared for Her Work

In her daily work, Cammie still thinks regularly about lessons she learned in Professor Emeritus of History, Political Science, and Sociology Jay Neikirk’s Public Administration course.

The class was an elective within her program, but it prepared her for an aspect of policing she hadn’t necessarily expected: the substantial administrative work that accompanies serving as an officer.

More broadly, Cammie says she has drawn on nearly every part of her Geneva education during her first few months on the job.

Her encounters with other Geneva alumni have reinforced that sense of connection. Abby Foerster ’26 is also working in Beaver Falls, and one of Cammie’s coworkers in the police department is fellow Geneva alumnus Gabe Morales ’23.

One of the biggest transitions Cammie anticipates after graduation is a change in relationships. At Geneva, friends were often only minutes away. Now, with classmates scattered around the country, spending time together can require months of planning.

Cammie reminisces on the fortuitous way she met her roommates the very first day of freshmen year. One future roommate sat near her in several classes because their last names both began with “Cr.” Others were part of her Learning and Transition (L&T) class. The group became three-year roommates, often heading out together to explore nearby parks, trails, and other places around Beaver County.

Graduation has changed those relationships, but it has not ended Cammie’s connection to Geneva.

She continues to return to campus to visit Kevin Donaldson, graduate assistant Carley Spahr, and student leaders in the Center for Student Engagement. She also hopes to have the opportunity to work security at Geneva football

It would be a fitting return to the same stands where some of her earliest Geneva memories began.