17 Feb Criminal Justice Fellowship

Two Carteret Community College Students Awarded Criminal Justice Fellowships in Statewide Competition

Criminal Justice Fellow Berkley Bell

Criminal Justice Fellow Mason Witte

Morehead City, N.C. (February 17, 2021) – The North Carolina Department of Justice recently awarded two Carteret Community College Criminal Justice students, Mason Witte and Berkley Bell, with the North Carolina Criminal Justice Fellowship. Bell and Witte are both in their first year at Carteret Community College. The North Carolina Department of Justice awards 100 fellowships statewide each year.

The North Carolina Criminal Justice Fellows Program is a program designed to recruit talented high school senior graduates into the criminal justice profession. Each year the program funds fellowships for high school graduates who have exhibited high academic achievement, a history of service to the school and community, and a desire to serve the state of North Carolina in a field within the criminal justice profession.

“Getting this fellowship means a lot to me,” said Witte. “When I was little, I wanted to go into the Marines. However, when I was 17, I was diagnosed with epilepsy and wasn’t eligible. I still wanted to help people and had to change my plans. Many members of my family are in the police, and I decided I wanted to be a police officer. This Fellowship will help me do that.”

“I learned about the scholarship when I was a senior in high school,” said Bell. “I have been interested in the law enforcement field so I applied. I feel pretty good that I got the fellowship. I feel like I accomplished something.”

The North Carolina Criminal Justice Fellows Program provides forgivable educational loans for high school seniors and graduates who agree to enter a criminal justice profession in North Carolina. This fellowship funds an Applied Associates Degree in Criminal Justice or committee-approved related field of study, from any North Carolina Community College.

Students who receive the educational loan have 5 years to repay. However, their loans would be forgiven if they enter and remain in a criminal justice profession with North Carolina for four years in an eligible county.

“I am so proud of Mason and Berkley,” said Tony Palbicke, Lead Instructor of Criminal Justice at Carteret Community College. “They are outstanding students. This is a great opportunity for them to have their Associate’s degree paid for, assuming they work in the Law Enforcement or Criminal Justice fields for four years after college.”

In addition to college tuition, students who graduate under this program in good standing will be given priority to enter a criminal justice training program for certification in an eligible criminal justice profession within the Community College System.

“The need for qualified, motivated and dedicated Criminal Justice career-oriented individuals is critical. This need is even more vital in the specific areas of Law Enforcement and Corrections,” said Palbicke. “The North Carolina Criminal Justice Fellowship Program is one engine that can drive this home for our young people who aspire to a career in Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice. I, for one, am grateful to be in the enviable position, after my own 25-year career in Law Enforcement, to guide, assist, and motivate a new generation of Law Enforcement professionals.”

Carteret Community College offers degrees, diplomas and certificates that are qualified subject areas for the Criminal Justice Fellowship, such as Criminal Justice, Basic Law Enforcement Training and Corrections.

“Our own Carteret Community College Criminal Justice Program is essential for young aspiring Law Enforcement Officers in their pursuit for a career in the Law Enforcement field,” said Palbicke. “Our courses offer an academic opportunity to learn about the field itself from a hands on, practical perspective. The students can use what they have learned at Carteret Community College to augment and enhance their career and job prospects, and also their job performance.”

If you are interested in learning more about Carteret Community College’s Criminal Justice programs, call 252-222-6000 or visit www.Carteret.edu.

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