Computing student pursues dreams of working with the police force

Curtis Largent is a student on our Foundation Diploma in Computing course. We caught up with him to find out how he’s finding college life and what he’s doing outside of studies.

What made you choose a computing course?

Computer science is something that I enjoyed at high school and it improved my transferable skillset so I decided to pursue it further.

What made you choose Leeds City College?

I chose Leeds City College as it offers flexibility within a diverse city. It’s also a change from the school lifestyle that I was used to and allowed me to mature.

What has been your highlight at the college so far?

The college has been very supportive of all my volunteering events and my highlight was receiving my Distinction in the first year last summer.

Tell us about your role in West Yorkshire Police?

Currently I am a police support volunteer as well as a cadet within the Wakefield District. This role gives me hands-on experience working alongside officers and staff supporting the work they do in the diverse communities of West Yorkshire.

It is a rewarding role and allows you to gain experience like no other while completing the Duke of Edinburgh Award. On top of this, we can be tasked with assisting community events or training events with new officers.

What training events have you been to and where did they take place?

I started off with the police in January 2017 as a West Yorkshire Police Explorer which is a 26 week course that advances your knowledge about West Yorkshire Police and the work they carry out.

After this, I joined the cadet programme and became a volunteer at the Operational Support centre. This furthered my knowledge on how the police operate and how they are actively involved in the community. Some of these events included Race for Life, fun days, school visits and many more.

What made you want to pursue a career in the police force?

I have wanted to pursue a career in the police after speaking to my safer schools officer in high school. I asked him about the role that he did and realised that I want to make the same difference to people’s lives the way he did.

I want to go home every day knowing I have made a positive difference to someone. I also want to become a role model for other people who aspire to do the right thing.

How has your course/college helped you reach your goals?

This course has allowed me to achieve my goals as they have supported me with volunteering within the community. Having the responsibility to complete work on time and turn up to classes punctually makes you more mature as a person too.

What are your ambitions for the future?

I have recently passed my final interview to become a police officer for West Yorkshire Police. This means that hopefully within a few months I should begin my training as a regular officer, something that I have aspired to do for a long time.