By Chris Cox
Chandler High School junior Dezmon Taliaferro loves helping people. Whether it’s on the football field, in the halls of Chandler High School, or in pursuit of his career, Taliaferro wants to serve others.
“I try to help the community if I’m given the chance,” he said.
That desire to help, and the fact his aunt is a retired police officer, pushed Taliaferro to pursue a career in law enforcement. To help accelerate that dream of being a police officer, Taliaferro enrolled in the Criminal Justice and Emergency Services program at Gordon Cooper Technology Center. Taliaferro said the reasons for joining the GCTC program were two-fold.
“I was interested in the program because it seemed like a family environment,” he says. “The classes are also giving me the opportunity to get closer to pursuing a career in law enforcement.”
While these courses will help Taliaferro pursue his goal of becoming a police officer, they also will give the skills needed to succeed in all aspects of his life. According to the program description, the Criminal Justice and Emergency Services program is designed to treat all students as young adults, teach responsibility, leadership qualities and teamwork.
Taliaferro’s instructor, Troy Thompson, says Dezmon will be a quality addition to a law enforcement agency.
“He possesses a strong desire to be able to change the world’s perception of law enforcement and first responders,” Thompson says. “He is strong willed, caring, and has a great heart, these qualities will further him greatly as he continues into these career fields.”
While Taliaferro’s goals after high school are clearly defined, he still has things he wants to accomplish in high school, especially in athletics.
“My goal for my teams is to make it to state,” he says. “I want to take the trophy home.”
Taliaferro competes in football, basketball, and power lifting for the Chandler Lions. As for how he plans on achieving his goals, both in athletics and in his future career endeavors, Taliaferro says it’s simple.
“Work hard and don’t quite.”
