Adversity to Advocacy
Western Technical College Criminal Justice program student Manny Chavez says, “I see these passions for law enforcement and politics working hand in hand.”
If you have a chance to speak with Western student Manny Chavez, it is clear he is determined to fulfill his dream of becoming a police officer. But the Criminal Justice student in his second year in the program has a unique perspective on the motivation for his dream. Chavez’s grandparents legally immigrated to the United States from Mexico. Growing up, his father would often share stories of police brutality he and his parents had witnessed or endured. Over time, his family grew to distrust the police. Chavez also grew up alongside the George Floyd protests in Minneapolis, which made him think deeply about the role he wanted to play in society. “I’m fascinated with criminal justice because of the Black Lives Matter movement,” he says. “I saw that there was a huge decrease in people wanting to go into that field. My ultimate reason was I wanted people to know that there are good people in those roles.”
MILWAUKEE ROOTS
Chavez’s childhood was spent moving often. In the sixth grade, his stepmom and father moved to Westby. Coming from Milwaukee, however, was an adjustment. “The schools were getting more violent (for me in Milwaukee),” says Chavez. “I got into a ton of fights, and I progressively turned into a fighter because I just kept getting beat up. I went to Westby, and I ended up becoming the worst kid.”
At first, he was in the principal’s office often, mostly due to picking fights with other students. Over time, however, he realized that students in Westby didn’t pick fights like in other schools. After spending time at the counselor’s office, he realized his stubbornness, “I went from sixth grade having C’s or nearly failing in some of the classes, to C’s and B’s in seventh and eighth grades, to freshman year when I reached high honors,” he says.
JOURNEY TO WESTERN
Chavez just happened to graduate in 2020—the year of the COVID pandemic. There was no celebration that year, no outlet to recognize his big accomplishment and turnaround. Like so many other students at Western, Chavez began his higher educational journey elsewhere. When he started college at UW-Milwaukee, masking was required in all public places, making it difficult to make new friends for the self-described eccentric personality.
“All of my classes were online, but I was still on campus,” Chavez says. “I was just sitting in a dorm room by myself. I ended up withdrawing from everyone.”
Manny eventually found himself back in the region. Following a stint in the workforce, he realized his calling was to help others. He enrolled in Western’s Criminal Justice program, with goals of joining the Law Enforcement Academy. Eventually, he hopes to work in law enforcement, with a specific emphasis on crime analytics.
A STUDENT ADVOCATE
Besides his passion for helping others, he has a bigger goal in mind: politics. After enrolling at Western, he became interested in getting involved with Western’s Student Government team. He eventually became the Student Government President—leading general assembly meetings, traveling to Madison, and being an advocate for all students on campus. He sees these passions for law enforcement and politics working hand in hand in his future, with goals of working in public service beyond his career in policing.
“We all want to live in a neighborhood where we can appreciate it and feel safe,” says Chavez. “But are we engaging in proactive measures to help prevent crime? It’s a systemic issue that we have, and there are multiple levels that we need to tackle in order to solve that problem.”
As part of his student government role, Chavez also recently had the chance to visit Washington D.C. with a delegation from Western attending the National Legislative Summit put on by the Association of Community College Trustees. There, he had the chance to share his story with area legislators, helping advocate for Pell Grants, SNAP access, and more funding for career and technical education.
“It was amazing, and I think it just painted the picture for me that this is the political process,” says Chavez. “You have to work with people that you might not see eye to eye with. You have to be able to negotiate.”
It is clear Manny has a bright future, full of caring for others—whether that’s through policing, politics, or something else entirely. He adds that he wanted to be president of the United States growing up. Given his determination, he just might do it.