Emmanuel Scott has always known that he was meant for a career in public service. With a natural aptitude to help people, he enrolled in NC’s Police Foundations program to pursue his goal of becoming a police constable. His decision did not come without sacrifice, though, as studying in Niagara meant spending time apart from his wife. Making the most of the situation, the couple found a new routine to stay connected, often preparing the same dinner meals to enjoy together during a nightly facetime call.
We checked in with Scott to learn more about his journey and to get his thoughts on being the recipient of the Dean’s Award as he graduates on June 16.
Emmanuel (Manny) Scott
Age: 37
Hometown: I was originally from St. Catharines but moved to Haileybury, a small town in Northern
Ontario, when I was a child. I’ve recently relocated to Niagara-On-The-Lake.
Program: Police Foundations
Academic achievement: Dean’s Award, School of Justice and Fitness, (95%)
How do you feel about receiving the Dean’s Award, achieving the highest GPA in your program?
Obtaining the highest GPA in Police Foundations and receiving the Dean’s Award came as such a shock. I’ve never been a straight ‘A’ student, so just that in itself was a major accomplishment. Knowing how competitive the policing world is, I didn’t think I stood a chance against some of my peers. When I received the notification about this award, I called everyone I knew. I’m still very blown away!
To what factors do you attribute your academic success? What inspires/motivates you to succeed?
My family back home, peers at school, and the competitiveness of the program (and application process) kept pushing me to do the best I could.
Why are you passionate about your field of study?
I’ve always known that I needed to be in a profession where I can help people. From opening doors at the store to stopping at collisions on the roadside, I’m always doing what I can to provide some type of assistance.
Do you have a specific career goal in mind? Was it a lifelong goal or more recent?
Completing this program is a major step in fulfilling my goal of becoming a police constable – something I’ve been working toward for years.
What was your situation when you enrolled at NC?
When I enrolled at Niagara College I had just left my previous position as a sales and leasing consultant at a car dealership. I had been working in a number of retail and sales positions since leaving high school.
How did you find your program experience? What did you find rewarding or particularly beneficial?
Having professors with extensive backgrounds in policing was by far the most beneficial aspect of the program. The professors’ first-hand experience helped students in learning the curriculum.
Did you face any challenges over the course of your study? How did you overcome those challenges?
When I started the program, I left behind my wife to operate a business on her own. Separating like this was a very emotional and stressful time for both of us. Together, we decided that it was a necessary challenge for the betterment of our future and although we struggled with it at first, we fell into a routine that helped get us through it. I suppose you could say it even prepared us for the current pandemic – we had nightly facetime calls over dinner and we often prepared the same meals to enjoy.
What is it like to graduate at this time during the COVID-19 pandemic? How has it affected you completing your studies remotely?
Completing our final semester virtually proved to be a bit of a trial for us all, professors included I’m sure. It certainly was a trying time, but we prevailed as will those after us.
What does graduating mean to you personally?
Graduating from this program is sort of bittersweet! I am thankful that we are finished, however, I’ve made so many friends who I will miss.
What have you been doing since completing your studies? What are your future plans?
Since we were hit with the COVID-19 pandemic, I’ve taken on extra shifts at my current job as a security guard – we’ve been extremely busy in our healthcare settings. I am also currently completing my application for police constable and hope it can materialize later this year.
Niagara College is celebrating its 5,000 spring graduates with its first-ever virtual convocation ceremonies from June 15-19. Visit the College’s Virtual Convocation site to view the schedule or to access the livestream ceremonies: niagaracollege.ca/virtualconvocation/.
