Tri-State University junior and criminal justice major Corey Cox experiences a taste of his future dream job today as an intern for the U.S. Marshals Service.

“My internship with the Marshals Service is the opportunity of a lifetime,” Cox said. “On a day-to-day basis I do a lot of standard office work, including filing, answering phones, and updating court schedules. More exciting tasks I have done are federal inmate processing, transporting prisoners to the Justice Prisoner and Alien Transport Service (JPATS) plane, helping the deputies with court security, doing research on high priority fugitive cases, and serving federal subpoenas.”

That fits perfectly with his plans. “Federal law enforcement has always been a goal for me. This internship has reaffirmed my decision to pursue a career at the federal level, and the United States Marshals Service would be my top choice,” he said.

TSU has afforded Cox the opportunity to take advanced skills with him to the federal law enforcement level. He is president of TSU’s Tao Alpha Omicron chapter of the American Criminal Justice Association (ACJA), and was among 13 TSU students and two professors participating in the ACJA Region 6 conference in Big Rapids, Mich. Nov. 2-4, when he brought home TSU’s first-ever Top Gun in handgun competition. The award is given to the top performer in the upper division for juniors and seniors.

“I've been training for handgun competitions, such as the one in November at Ferris State, since before I even came to TSU,” Cox said. “Handgun shooting has always been a challenge to me, and I think that's what drew me to it.”

That means lots of target practice. “Shooting is like any other sport, lots of practice makes perfect,” he said. “Good equipment, for example the handgun you use, can only take you so far. Someone still has to pull the trigger. I try to practice at least once a month, if not more.”

TSU chairman of the criminal justice, psychology, and social science departments and assistant professor Craig Laker, along with TSU Tao chapter co-adviser and professor John Milliken, make sure their students get that practice. The two schedule training sessions with the Steuben County Sheriff’s Department officers and at the practice range at the Angola Conservation Club.

“Winning Top Gun means the world to me,” Cox said. “It just goes to show that all my work is paying off, and I am definitely looking forward to nationals in Kansas City. Right now my confidence is at an all-time high, and I hope to compete with the best in the country.”

He credits his TSU experience with paving the way to his future. “Tri-State University opened these opportunities up, and for that I am thankful,” he said. “I would never have been able to get this internship without the help and guidance of professors Laker and Milliken. Any school can teach you about criminal justice, but TSU puts you out in the field and shows it to you in real life. Books only take you so far—experiences get you hired.”