From Interest to Action: Garden Grove Student Builds a Career in Criminal Justice

For years, Brianna Robinson had been drawn to the world of criminal justice. But knowing how to turn this interest into a career was something that eluded her.

Brianna took classes related to the field in high school, where she excelled. Yet life after graduation led her toward jobs that, while they paid the bills, didn’t offer a clear professional direction. Her ambition was there, but a pathway toward a criminal justice career remained hidden.

That changed when Brianna enrolled in the Criminal Justice program at UEI College in Garden Grove. As a student, she maintained perfect attendance and a nearly perfect GPA before graduating with honors in late 2024.

Today, she works as a custody officer at the Irvine Police Department, a role that places her directly inside the criminal justice system she’d long hoped to join. It’s a steppingstone, she said, to bigger and better things.

Turning Interest into a Career

Before enrolling at UEI College, Brianna describes her work life as being “more like a job than a career.” She worked at a grocery store, earning income to support herself and her kids while always in search of something in the law enforcement field.

Her long-time fascination with criminal justice dated back to her teens, when she participated in a Regional Occupational Program course focused on CSI and forensics. The success she had in these classes opened her eyes to greater things.

“I’m the type of person where I don’t always get straight As,” Brianna said. “But in that class I did because I was just so interested in it.”

This planted a seed that laid dormant for a few years. Years later, encouragement from her fiancé (who attended UEI as an HVAC student) gave her the nudge she needed to enroll in UEI’s Criminal Justice program.

“He wanted me to have more of a career than a job,” she said. “I have two kids, so he wanted something better for us.”

At UEI’s Garden Grove campus, Brianna quickly found her stride. As a visual learner, she said she appreciated the program’s mix of in-person and online coursework. The curriculum’s accelerated nine-month timeline allowed her to move quickly toward her goals.

“In the beginning, figuring out the schedule was a little challenging,” she said. “But once I had it down, it was easy.”

In fact, her performance as a student stood out. According to Dr. Charles Cunha, a Criminal Justice instructor at UEI Garden Grove, Brianna was “exemplary in all facets of life,” serving as both an honor roll student and a UEI Student Ambassador. “We are very proud of her,” he said.

Brianna also volunteered her time to assist with community outreach projects and often mentored classmates who needed a little extra guidance.

“She was very eager and helpful to others—a true example of resiliency and perseverance,” Dr. Cunha said.

Entering the Criminal Justice Field

After graduating in 2024, Brianna began building her professional experience at a security company. There, she worked security assignments at the Social Security Office in Yorba Linda and later at a bank in Costa Mesa.

While the positions provided valuable exposure and stability, she found the routine a little boring and tedious.

“I’m not someone who likes to just sit and do nothing,” she said. “It was hard for me.”

While working those roles, however, Brianna continued applying for law-enforcement-related positions. She interviewed for a city officer role in Fullerton and later applied to become a custody officer in Irvine—a position she recently started.

According to Brianna, working as a custody officer carries a high level of responsibility. Her duties include conducting jail checks, inspecting cells, monitoring inmate activity, logging meals, fingerprinting, live scanning, transporting inmates to county facilities, and submitting paperwork to the Records Division. She also assists with DUI checkpoints and city events as needed.

The schedule, which includes occasional overnight shifts, has required adjustment. But the work itself aligns with her long-term goals.

“This is more what I want to do,” Brianna said. “I told them when they hired me that I’m interested in growing—maybe dispatching or probation work with kids.”

Brianna views her current role as the starting point she needs to eventually achieve these goals. Getting firsthand experience in the criminal justice system allows her to work more directly with youth or in communications roles like dispatch. This makes the path in front of her feel much more tangible than it did just a few months ago.

Reflecting on her experience at UEI, Brianna says both patience and persistence are the keys to success.

“Stick with it and push through,” she said. “In the end, if it’s something you really want, you’ll find what you’re looking for. It’s worth it.”