MEQUON, Wis. — One of the area's newest police officers is setting a strong example of dedication and empathy for her three kids.
Fourteen graduates walked across the stage at Milwaukee Area Technical College's Mequon campus Tuesday afternoon. All of them have already been assigned to local police departments across the area, in places like Cedarburg, Bayside and West Allis.
For class president Nicoalle Zemanovic, this is a full-circle moment that she always dreamed of. After six years in the Army, NiCoalle returned home to take care of her three children, even homeschooling them for multiple years during the pandemic.
WATCH: Army vet, mom of three leads MATC Police Academy graduates
"(When I was) rocking the baby to sleep, being out on a run, I always thought, I want to be a cop," Zemanovic said. "I'm tired of wishing I was something. I'm just gonna go do it."
Wanting to prove to her children that anything is possible, Zemanovic decided to get her Associate's degree in Criminal Justice a few years ago. She got hired by Bayside Police Department and enrolled at the Police Academy at MATC several months ago.
MATC Law Enforcement Academy director Allen Groszczyk told his students to never stop learning, even after they are on the job.
"(There's) high demand right now. It's a big responsibility," Groszczyk said. "It's a lot of training, but it's still just breaking the ice."
Zemanovic hopes to eventually use her skills to help crime victims, especially women and children. She begins her new career with Bayside later this week.
"If there's another woman out there who keeps doubting if she can go do what she's always wanted to do... You can make it happen," Zemanovic said.
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