Rachel Mork is the person who grew up watching a parent head off to work each day as a police officer and never wavered when she considered her own career path.  "Even when I was little, this was always just what I wanted to do," she says.  Now the 1st year law enforcement student at Ridgewater College can also see the career in greater detail as a Community Service Officer with the Willmar Police Department.

"It's really good to see beyond driving in a squad car. During my employment as a CSO, I have had the opportunity to be a role player for SWAT training and assist the K9 officer," Mork says.  She also believes she has benefited from the role models she's had in both her dad who serves as a chief and Willmar chief of police Jim Felt, who serves as her current boss.

"It's obvious that Rachel has a passion for law enforcement and service to the community," Felt says.  "She presents a very positive image to the public in everything she does."

Mork took some college classes while in high school and has made the Dean's List at Ridgewater.  Now she is experiencing what it is like to serve in the midst of a stressful time where officers are being issued personal protective equipment like facemasks and disposable gloves.  But she says she continues to maintain a focus on making positive interactions with the people she serves.

"You have the opportunity to save another person that may not have been able to save themselves in the first place," she says. "You are showing up and training for that situation and for the ability to be able to help."