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Dallas College

Veronica Alejandro

“I’ve always had a passion for law enforcement; I like that it’s black and white and I like the aspect of helping people. I grew up in the projects of El Paso, so I know something about gangs and violence and I want to help people get out of that vicious cycle. I want to help people make changes and be different. 

“I sat down one day to talk to my two children about how I wanted them to go to college and they asked me if I went to college. There are 100 reasons why I didn’t go and economics was the main one. But the next day, I went to Brookhaven and registered for classes. And then I came back to my kids and said, ‘I’m going this for you guys and for myself too. I want to show you that no matter how hard it is, going to college is possible.’ I had a good career as a job recruiter for many years, but I wanted more. 

“My goal is to go to another Dallas College campus to get Peace Officer Training, become a police officer and work part-time on my bachelor’s degree and eventually end up in forensics. I want every day to be a new challenge and I want to help people – but not from behind a desk. My criminology classes at Dallas College have all been good and I like the life experience my professors bring to the classroom.

“My advice to others starting college later in life? Don’t give up on your dreams! It doesn’t matter how old you are; you can push through it. I started college late but the main thing is that I started.” 

Veronica Alejandro is a criminology student at Dallas College, with future plans to earn a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice at the University of North Texas.


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Rodolfo (Rudy) Salas

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Roland Tay

Roland Tay, M.D.

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“I was already working on a master’s degree in alternative dispute resolution at SMU when I learned about El Centro’s program, where I earned a certificate in Family Mediation. I was thrilled to find out about their program because it was convenient and affordable. The program was well-designed, and the quality of instruction was excellent.”
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Kathy Mack

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Criminal Justice
Veronica Alejandro
Veronica Alejandro
Dallas College student and hopeful future police officer
Criminal Justice
School of Law and Public Service
Updated September 16, 2025