Campus News Graduation often is portrayed as the start of a new life. Few students anywhere will have more reason to feel that way than Alana Mattingly and Denise Simpson, outstanding students who will receive their bachelor's degrees from UC's Criminal Justice program on June 9. Simpson, who has had a long-term relationship with Redd, will get married later in June.
Parallels abound throughout their careers.
Neither woman's life was easy when they came to college. I lacked the confidence to do anything. I was really depressed at the time. Simpson walked out, never returned and realized she had to find a new direction for her life. For both women, the answer was pursuit of a criminal justice education, first in U-College and, for the last two years, in the College of Education's criminal justice baccalaureate program.