Editor's Note: This story will appear on the inside back cover of NJCU's Spring 'Gothic' magazine
The excellent reputation of
New Jersey City University's Criminal Justice program has long been a selling point of its athletic head coaches in recruiting prospective student athletes. In fact, during the 2013-14 academic year, more than 40 active student athletes list one of the program's disciplines as either a major or minor.
Over the years, many former student athletes have transitioned from the fields of competition to enforcing the laws of the state, and a small but distinguished group have completed the demanding training required to become a New Jersey State Trooper.
Statistics have shown that being a collegiate athlete enhances the chance of reaching the lofty goal of becoming a state trooper. In the most recent trooper class in December 2013, 42 percent of graduates played college sports, including
Juan Vera `07, a former men's soccer student-athlete on NJCU's 2005 Sweet 16 team. NJCU men's volleyball Hall-of-Famer
Satsay Thongvichith, `99, is also a state trooper.
Unquestionably, the most prominent former NJCU athlete to serve in the state police was retired NBA referee Robert J. Delaney, `85, whose life story is revealed in the riveting novel
Covert: My Years Infiltrating the Mob. In the book, Mr. Delaney tells the account of the dangerous undercover assignment he accepted as a young trooper in 1975 that was critical in the efforts of the state police to disrupt organized crime.
Today, one of the best examples of a former NJCU student-athlete emerging to become a state trooper is that of women's soccer great
Katie Feehan, `07, who earned a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice with a minor in pre-law with a near-perfect 3.98 grade point average, before completing her M.S. in Criminal Justice at NJCU in 2009.
Ms. Feehan, a 29-year-old Newark resident and Manasquan native who graduated from Wall High School in Monmouth County, recently completed her sixth season as an assistant women's soccer coach at her alma mater in Fall 2013. She was a four-year standout for the Gothic Knights from 2004-07 and as a graduate student became the first three-time
CoSIDA Academic All-America recipient in University history and the first ever named a First-Team Academic All-American in 2007. The three-year team co-captain and three-time All-New Jersey Athletic Conference honoree was chair of NJCU's Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) in 2007-08. Furthermore, at the time of her graduation, the center midfielder owned every major career record at NJCU, including points (92), goals (33), and assists (26). She has since coached a pair of players that have eclipsed her records.
For all her on-the-field accomplishments, perhaps her most notable achievement came on January 27, 2012, when she was sworn in as one of 85 new state troopers as part of the 151
st New Jersey State Police class. After 26 grueling weeks of training Sea Girt, Ms. Feehan was one of just 11 women to receive a badge that day. Overall, 123 potential officers began training with Ms. Feehan, including 15 women, in August, 2011.
Ms. Feehan, who began her career as a trooper in Sussex County, has also patrolled in Somerset County as part of the force's Troop B.
In the most recently releases statistics, only three percent of troopers were women. While Ms. Feehan did not originally consider herself a role model for other women, she can understand why her success, particularly in a male-dominated field, may inspire others.
Recently while on duty in Trenton, she conducted a class trip for students learning about the government and noted how one little girl was very surprised to see a female trooper.
"When I see little kids, they don't always know a woman can be a cop. Hopefully my previous all-around success as a student-athlete and my current career path can inspire others to realize there is no reason to set limitations on yourself. With hard work and dedicated training, it doesn't matter what gender you are."
Ms. Feehan notes that the campus' diversity while a student at NJCU helps her in the field when she encounters people from many different backgrounds.
She also considers Dr. William Calathes, J.D., Ph.D., as the most influential professor she encountered during her five years at NJCU as an undergraduate and graduate student
"He wanted me to go to law school and kept me motivated academically when I was here. And while I chose not to pursue a law degree, I am hopeful that what I learned from Dr. Calathes will one day help me rise to become a detective."
Former NJCU head coach Robert Bielan, `97, who coached and later hired Ms. Feehan as an assistant, saw the characteristics early that set her apart.
"She always took it upon herself to step up and elevate her teammates play in tight games. She was the standard on the field and everyone else aspired to be play at her level. Playing with her you knew you had a chance to win. I always knew Katie would succeed at anything she did."
"Although she was one of the best players in the NJAC, she was always eager to learn more," Mr. Bielan added, describing what made Ms. Feehan special. "She worked harder then everyone on the field and never complained if she was not getting the support on the field from her team. At practice she was first one there to set up and last one to leave—always breaking down the equipment. As talented she was on the field, her academics were top notch as well. She is as perfect a women's student-athlete I ever had the pleasure to coach. I'm proud to have coached such a solid woman."
A solid woman who continues to give back to her alma mater on the soccer pitch while inspiring others as she protects the citizens of the state in a field where women are just beginning to make their mark.
