Career Focus 4-2 - Sandhills Community College

C a r e e r F o c u s
Feature
Thousands of Moore and Hoke County residents rely on the aid of public service and safety personnel every day. Individuals in law enforcement, fire
and rescue, and emergency medical services respond to the immediate needs of society. Social, community and educational services are provided to
individuals and families through the human services professions. Those in criminal justice serve in correctional operations, with the courts and with law
enforcement.
Profiled are several Sandhills Community College graduates who have found success and personal satisfaction in public services and safety careers.
Complete information on the programs they studied at the college can be found on our website.
Todd Weaver
Basic Law Enforcement Training Graduate
Todd Weaver served in the
U.S. Army for six years.
After he completed his
service to his country, he
returned home to Florida and
worked in the Suwannee County
Sheriff’s Office. His friends, who
lived in Moore County, enticed him
back to North Carolina.
“Sandhills Community College
had just started the BLET
program,” he recalled. “I believe
that I was part of the second
class that completed the program.
The training is challenging and
demanding and requires a lot of
self-discipline,” he said. “It also is
a tremendous commitment – 620
hours of required training.”
For the past seven years, Todd
Weaver has been serving as the
Lead Physical Fitness Instructor for
Sandhills’ BLET program.
He particularly found the selfdefense,
defensive driving and
traffic stop classes to be the most
true-to-life. “The BLET classes are
a reality check; they really make
you think. The instructors do a
great job preparing students for a
career in law enforcement.”
After graduating from the
program, he started working as
a deputy for the Moore County
Sheriff’s Office. In 1999, he became
a patrol officer for the Aberdeen
Police Department. He was
promoted to sergeant and then
lieutenant before becoming captain
in 2007.
Weaver also earned his associate’s
degree in Criminal Justice
Technology from Sandhills in
2008. In 2009, he was selected to
attend the FBI National Academy
in Quantico, Virginia. Less than
two percent of the officers who
apply from throughout the world
are accepted into this prestigious
advanced law enforcement
techniques training program,
which is taught by FBI agents in
conjunction with the University
of Virginia. Even the application
process is arduous – generally
taking two to five years. He found
out two years after applying that
he would be attending this threemonth
training.
To learn more about BLET at
Sandhills Community College,
contact Teresa Hall at
(910) 695-3931 or
hallt@sandhills.edu.
Scan this QR Code with your
smartphone to read Todd Weaver’s
full story:
Bill Jolley
Emergency Medical Science Graduate
Bill Jolley retired from the
U.S. Army where enjoyed
helping people as a medic
and nurse. Even though he
had a lot of medical experience,
he feels that Sandhills was
instrumental in preparing him for
his civilian profession.
“It’s a different environment,”
he said. “You have to adapt from
military scenarios to civilian
realities. There is a big difference
between combat casualties and
what EMTs face.
“I thank my Sandhills’
instructors who are
topnotch at getting
students where they
need to be,” Jolley
added. “They are the
best, and they make
sure their students
become the best in their field. I am
very happy I chose Sandhills.”
Jolley works for Med 1 Services
in Hoke County. He is currently
continuing his education toward a
bachelor’s degree through Western
Carolina University
where he is able to take
some classes on the
Pinehurst campus. Other
courses are internetbased.
This further
education will prepare
him for positions in
management.
Becoming a paramedic
requires an ability
to remain calm and
confident under pressure. It is a
fast-paced job for those who are
dedicated to helping others. Many
people associate paramedics with
ambulances; however, they can
also work with air medical services
and in specialty areas of hospitals,
industry, education institutions
and government agencies.
To learn more about the
Emergency Medical Sciences
program at Sandhills Community
College, contact Tom Ferrell at
(910) 695-3768 or
ferrellt@sandhills.edu.
Scan this QR Code with your
smartphone to read Bill Jolley’s
full story:
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I Volume 4 • Issue 2 I CareerFocus www.sandhills.edu I Sandhills Community College I (910) 692-6185