COVID-Affected Class Persevered through Academy’s Rigors
The Angelina College Regional Law Enforcement Academy on Monday introduced 19 new members of the law enforcement profession in a graduation ceremony held inside Temple Theater on the AC campus.
Doug Conn, Chief of Police at AC, praised the cadets for persevering despite a delay in training because of COVID-19.
“We started this journey six months ago, and these cadets should have been able to graduate before Christmas,” Conn said. “They’ve endured everything we put them through, and they’ve done an amazing job.”
Joshua Hayden, valedictorian of Class 110 of the Angelina College Regional Law Enforcement Academy, addresses the crowd and classmates during Monday’s ceremony. A total of 19 new law enforcement members were recognized at graduation inside Temple Theater. (Gary Stallard/AC News Service photo) 
Keynote speaker James Barge, a long-time veteran of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, imparts advice on the graduating cadets of Class 110 of the Angelina College Regional Law Enforcement Academy. A total of 19 new law enforcement members were recognized in a graduation ceremony held at Temple Theater. (Gary Stallard/AC News Service photo)
Keynote speaker James Barge, a long-time veteran of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and a member of numerous law-enforcement organizations, reminded the cadets of both their impact and their responsibilities to the communities they’ll serve throughout their careers.
“Some of you will return to the same communities where you grew up,” Barge said. “No matter what situations you encounter, or who you encounter, remember that the right thing is always the right thing to do. Treat everyone exactly the same, and you’ll never have to remember how you may have treated someone else differently.”
A large number of current law enforcement officers in various positions attended the ceremony, and Conn invited them onstage to greet and welcome the new graduates as they crossed the stage.
Joshua Hayden was awarded both Top Gun and Valedictorian honors. Humberto Gonzalez, Jr. received the Top Driver award.
Angelina College was issued a license to operate a police academy in 12 East Texas counties in September of 1993 by the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE). The academy offers basic and in-service training courses at sites throughout Deep East Texas with the assistance of an advisory board, which assists in directing the academy.
Academy staff members include Doug Conn, Chief of Police; Lt. Randy Holland, Training Manager; Officer Jack Stephenson, Training Manager; and Kim Capps, Administrative Assistant.
Class of 110 graduates, along with their hometowns of record, were as follows:
Tanya Acevedo (Lufkin), Alan Arreguin (Nacogdoches), Caleb Boyer (Brookeland), Cody Bradshaw (Buna), Cameron Cercone (Lufkin), Samantha Crenshaw (Coldspring), Reece Durbin (Lufkin), Morgen Garcia (Livingston), Margaret Gardner (Groveton), Humberto Gonzalez, Jr. (Crockett), Joshua Hayden (Splendora), Christian Ibarra (Lufkin), Benjamin Johnson (Diboll), John Mack Kimble (Anahuac), Colton McCoy (Lufkin), Justin Murdock (Livingston), Erik Peters (Sugar Land), Anna Reyes (Lufkin) and Rhonda Ruiz (Newton). For information on the AC Police Academy, email policeacademy@angelina.edu.
For other inquiries regarding Angelina College, contact Krista Brown at kbrown@angelina.edu.
