At Calumet College of St. Joseph, “You Belong” is more than just a motto. From staff to students, the college strives to connect and help each and every person who steps onto their campus. For Danny McGuire, the Program Director of Public Safety Programs and Director of the Public Safety Institute at CCSJ, that motto has stuck with him for many years.
McGuire has been both student and staff at CCSJ, and he experienced the sense of belonging to its full extent. After years in law enforcement, an injury forced McGuire to leave the career he loved so much. Rather than letting the circumstance overwhelm him, McGuire found his way to CCSJ as a student and quickly absorbed everything he could.
“I went back to school as a 33-year-old,” McGuire said. “I was out of the box a bit and they helped me focus on setting a goal and achieving that goal. I love CCSJ; it set the course for everything.”
McGuire received his Bachelor's Degree from CCSJ and then continued on to receive two Master's Degrees and a Doctorate from other universities. The foundation given to him at CCSJ truly impacted him and allowed him to continue his education. After time, he found his way back to where it all began and started teaching with the college. Now, he spends his time helping those who aspire to have or are working through a career in public safety.
“Being in public safety is a helping profession. It’s something I’m still doing, just serving our population,” McGuire said. “It’s really an awesome thing to be on the front line of that and help educate public safety professionals.”
One of the benefits of CCSJ is the staff and their years of experience. McGuire adds to this pool, and along with many of his coworkers, brings years of real-world experience to the table. Classes are sure to include examples and knowledge that can only be gained from hands-on experience.
“Combined, our faculty probably has over 350 years of experience. You aren't going to find that everywhere,” McGuire said. “There’s a lot of practical experience to share, and we go out of our way to make sure students are getting what they need.”
Adding to that experience is the program’s history at CCSJ. The program’s 60 years of history and service to over 3,000 students gives McGuire, as a second-generation law enforcement professional, confidence in their ability to keep providing an excellent service.
“I’ve worked here part-time for 11 years, so being able to go full-time with this position is awesome,” McGuire said. “We constantly have students in our programs, and we have the graduate and undergraduate programs that are still successful. Students are wanting this education.”
Calumet College of St. Joseph is lucky to have staff members like McGuire who are constantly working to make the student experience valuable. For him, the connection to his past and being able to aid public safety professionals in their careers is a rewarding and fascinating career.
To learn more about Calumet college of St. Joseph and their programs, visit them here!