For DePaul University Honors student Emerson Schonfelder, the path from criminology coursework to a career in public safety is becoming clearer every day. Selected as an intern with the Cook County Sheriff’s Office’s Department of Investigations and Intelligence, Emerson is gaining experiential learning that brings her studies to life. In this Honors Highlights interview, she reflects on the experience, what she has learned so far, and where she hopes it leads.
Tell us about your internship with the Cook County Sheriff’s Office Department of Investigations and Intelligence. What does a typical day or week look like for you?
There’s lots of filing—haha! But it’s great exposure. The Cook County Sheriff’s Office is the second-largest Sheriff’s Office in the United States, so the caseloads are massive. The department where I work, Investigations and Intelligence, is primarily responsible for investigating crimes that occur within the jail. As an intern, I flit between the offices of investigators and analysts. The analysts handle a lot of intelligence-sharing and research, which ensures that officers in the field have the most up-to-date information.
I spend a lot of time with the investigators. They’ve brought me into the jail with them to observe interviews on a couple of occasions, and I’ve also accompanied an investigator to the courthouse for grand jury testimony. I couldn’t go inside, of course, since grand jury is a closed-door proceeding. But I got to witness the before and after happenings. All in all, it’s been a very eye-opening experience, with a lot of good people and a camaraderie that I see every time I come into work.
What first drew you to criminology, and how has that interest evolved over the years and now into your time as an intern?
I was never a Dateline kid, or crazy about the true crime genre. Crime dramas were a different story—I LOVE a good crime drama. But I like to attribute the beginnings of my interest in criminology to my aunt. I spent a lot of time over at her house growing up, and she almost always had The People’s Court on. The show focuses on small claims disputes, so certainly not violent crime, but it introduced me to the courtroom setting and some of the workings of the legal system. I remember later taking an American Government class in high school, which I was not good at, and being surprised by how well I tested during our Criminal Justice unit; I had absorbed quite a bit simply from watching The People’s Court! That was probably the first time I thought, “Oh, I could actually be good at this.”
I didn’t initially enroll at DePaul as a Criminology major, but I took the 101 course during my first Winter Quarter out of personal interest. It didn’t take long for me to realize that I wanted to pursue it as a second major. Over the past few years, studying criminology through a social science lens has really nuanced how I think about crime and the ways our justice system responds to it. I truly think everyone should take a criminology course, and with it, a victimology course as well. They are inherently opposites to each other, but I feel both can expand your understanding of society and help people lead more with compassion. Since declaring that second major, I’ve been able to take criminological courses from law, theory, and research methods to electives like forensic anthropology and crimes of the state. Having the opportunity to see some of what I’ve studied in practice at the Sheriff’s Office has been especially eye-opening.
What’s the most valuable lesson you’ve taken away from your internship so far?
Be proactive and ask questions! I think the best thing you can come into any internship or entry-level job with is curiosity. The opportunities I’ve had in this internship—e.g., getting to go into the jail and to the courthouse with investigators—were largely dependent on my asking to. I only decided I wanted to work in the criminal justice system a little over two years ago, so there is still a lot to learn, and there’s only so much you can absorb if you’re not actively seeking it out!
How has the Honors program prepared you for the work you’re doing within your internship as well as your future career goals?
The Honors program has prepared me by reinforcing my critical-thinking skills. Most Honors classes are formatted around specific focuses rather than general study (e.g., my Honors history course was specifically about the era of Western Europe’s witch hunts). I think being able to hone in on topics, particularly ones that interest you, and recognize their strengths, limitations, and opportunities for improvement is an invaluable skill to enter the workforce with.
The criminal justice system is not without criticism, and very deservedly so. Knowing that, I think it’s important for it to be populated with employees who are conscious of its shortcomings and committed to improving it. I see that commitment in many of my peers studying in the Criminology department who are also looking to enter that domain post-graduation.
Lastly, when you picture your dream career in criminology, what does it look like?
Right now, the dream is to work in federal law enforcement, specifically with the U.S. Marshals Service. I like to think The People’s Court instilled in me a fascination with the courtroom setting, and the Marshals Service deals extensively with the judiciary and its protection. But its purview is absolutely massive. The agency oversees everything from the Witness Security Program and prisoner transport to judicial security, asset forfeiture, and fugitive apprehension. The breadth of its responsibilities, alongside the scale, challenge, and tangible impact of federal LE work in general, is incredibly appealing to me.
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