National Police Week – Student Spotlight on Jason Bassett
Jason Bassett
Welcome to National Police Week, May 13 – 19, 2018. This celebration of America’s law enforcement community provides an opportunity to highlight our Bachelor of Science Criminal Justice Management (CJM) students and alumni throughout the month of May. The CJM degree is Union’s largest undergraduate program with over *6,300 graduates and over 25 chiefs of police, assistant chiefs, and sheriffs who credit their Union degree for climbing the law enforcement ranks.
Meet Jason Bassett below. Jason is a California police lieutenant who just completed his Master of Arts in History & Culture. Jason is also a CJM alum.
Q. What do you plan to do with your degree?
A. I would like to teach at the community college level. I teach law enforcement topics now, but I am a history buff and want to branch out into non-law enforcement topics.
Q. What led you to this program?
A. I completed my bachelor’s degree with Union in 2002 and had said every year until 2016 that I was going to go back for a master’s degree. I finally got around to registering and began the program.
Q. Why did you choose Union for your studies?
A. I liked the format and way that the classes were structured. I had not been in a formal academic setting for a long time but I knew that it was significantly different from listening to my kids’ experiences. Distance learning was going to be my only option, so I chose Union based on my positive previous experience and the fact that a program in History and Culture was offered.
Q. If you could give a piece of advice to your 20 something, what would it be?
A. Start now! Don’t put off your educational goals. There will never be a good and convenient time, so go ahead and get started now.
Q. Who has influenced you the most in your life, and how have they influenced you?
A. My parents have been my biggest influence. They showed me the value of hard work and that with that, I could achieve my goals.
(*Undergraduate bachelor’s degree alumni with various majors or concentration studies in the area of criminal justice.)