When people asked us as children what we wanted to do or be when we grew up, some common answers were, “Food Taster” or “Princess,” but in high school, we are faced with the reality that our future is here. Criminal justice is a popular course at Lenoir City High School. Our three criminal justice courses are CJ1, CJ2, and CJ3. Adison Dillard (12), who has taken all three, has had varied classroom experiences. 

“My freshman year was different from my junior and senior year because I had different teachers,” Dillard said.

Each Criminal Justice class teaches something different. CJ1 is all about law and justice, CJ2 is more hands-on with crime scenes, fingerprints and more. CJ3 is a college class that basically gives a general overview of the principles and elements that make up the criminal justice system. Dillard elaborates on why she chose criminal justice.

“I want to be a crime scene investigator, they document the scene, take evidence, run analises, and more,” Dillard said.

Even though Criminal Justice is a great career path, it’s not for everyone. Career paths can change over time. People can have a career goal of being a chef one day and a doctor the next.

“[I don’t think that Criminal Justice is for everybody] because some people get nervous around certain things or don’t like gore, so you really need kind of a strong stomach,” Dillard said.

Crime scenes are not an issue for Dillard, but they can be for people with an upset stomach. There are multiple jobs in the criminal justice industry as in any other career. 

LCHS provides many elective focuses with a wide range of skills that are available for those who are not interested in Criminal Justice.