St Vincent Police Officer gets Master’s Degree in forensic psychology

St Vincent is celebrating the success of Police Corporal Verna John of the Royal St Vincent and the Grenadines police force. Corporal Verna John has graduated from the King’s Graduate College, Rochelle Campus- Magna Cum Laude with a Degree in Forensic Psychology.

This is a great achievement, not only for her but also for the Police Department. They can now boast of having an officer who is also a qualified Forensic Psychologist, having graduated from one of the premier institutions in America.

This definitely raises the standards of the already illustrious ranks of the Royal St Vincent and the Grenadines police force. Corporal Verna John earlier graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work and a Minor in Youth Development Work with First Class Honors from the University of the West Indies, Global Campus on October 16^th 2021. Following that, she initiated her post graduate studies at the Kings Graduate College in St Lucia before transferring to the sister college in New York.

At her graduation ceremony, a momentous occasion for any individual, she said the following, “I fell in love with psychology during my undergraduate studies, and after giving it some thought, I concluded that forensic psychology worked well with social work and could also be used in the police organization and, by extension, the criminal justice system. As a police officer, I place a high value on having a thorough understanding of psychology, criminal behavior, the criminal justice system, and how they interact.”

As is understandable, Corporal Verna John spoke of her battle with inner fears in the initial stages of her educational journey. She said, “Initially, fear was my biggest challenge, fortunately, I did not allow my fear of inadequacy and self-doubts to paralyze or immobilize me. As time progressed, my fears became my most excellent motivator and success became my mindset. I relied heavily on God and one of the many scriptures that helped me stay focused during the course of my studies is “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13.

Corporal John also finished her internship at the Freedom Youth Family and Justice Center in New York as a Case Manager. She undertook the following roles and responsibilities; counselling youths, and completing intake assessments of survivors of human trafficking and domestic violence. A major benefit to her, through this internship was the fact that she got to work closely with the Department of Homeland Security, the New York Police Department (NYPD), and the Administration for Children Services (ACS).

Corporal Verna John is now completing her Optional Practical Training (OPT) as a Mental Health Therapist at a Mental Health Outpatient Agency in Pennsylvania. This will definitely be another valuable experience for her and add another feather to her cap.

“I want to use this opportunity to express my gratitude to God for his unfailing love and strength, as well as to my family and friends for supporting me during this journey, the Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, the Commissioner of Police, and by extension the RSVGPF,” Corporal John said.

The Commissioner and members of the Royal St Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force were quick to extend their well wishes to Corporal Verna John for her impressive academic achievements. They recognize that her achievements are not just personally important but will be a boon to the department and the nation as well.