Meet Natalie West!

Wayland, Iowa

Criminal Justice, Class of 2025

My name is Natalie West, and I am from a small town called Wayland, Iowa. My high school, WACO High, taught 7th-12th grade and had less than 300 kids in the entire building. Since I graduated from a smaller high school, I wanted to attend a community college that felt like my high school.

I have been on several college campuses, but when I arrived at Kirkwood, I felt at home. Kirkwood has a smaller campus, smaller class sizes, and very welcoming staff. My family and I met with the Associate Director of Admissions, Tyler Poldervaart. Tyler was very thorough and answered all the questions that my family and I had. My mother and uncle also graduated from Kirkwood, and they told me that it was an amazing experience going there.

I am going into the Criminal Justice program. I wanted to go into this because I love to help people in every way I can. Ever since I was little, I have always wanted to become a police officer. While in high school, I had the opportunity to participate in multiple internships with the Henry County Sheriff’s Department, Washington County Sherriff’s Department, Mount Pleasant Police Department, and the District 13 State Patrol. I got to ride in squad cars, sit with dispatch tour the Henry County and Washington County jails, watch the bailing and fingerprinting process, and sit in with the employees in the civil office.

These experiences were the icing on the cake for me. I knew right away that this was the program I was going to pursue. I look forward to learning about the different policing techniques and learning more about how the law works within this system.

I was elated to find out I received a Kirkwood scholarship. This scholarship is so important to me since I am paying for college on my own. A scholarship provides a person with financial relief and takes some stress off their shoulders. This will allow me to focus more on participating in job shadows, different clubs at Kirkwood, and career-related opportunities.

If you have the funds to donate to the Kirkwood Foundation, please consider doing so. Your support helps young adults like me pay for college expenses, such as books for my classes, college tuition, and helps me concentrate on my studies.

Sincerely,
Natalie West
Criminal Justice, Class of 2025