Even when they are little, kids
think big. They dream of flying
through the sky as astronauts,
performing in front of sold-out
stadiums as famous musicians,
and winning gold medals as
star athletes at the Olympics.
As a kid growing up in
Dorchester, EVkids alum Chris
Jones dreamt of one day
becoming a police officer.
“It was one of those things
when you’re a kid, you want to
be a superhero, like Batman,”
Chris said. “You see cops, and
you see them catching the bad
guys.”
Without hard work and
determination, a dream is just
that. Chris knew exactly what
he needed to do to reach his
ultimate goal.
“I realized I had to do good in
school, keep my grades up,
Chris (left) being sworn in as a Randolph Police Officer in
and not hang out with the
2013.
wrong crowd,” he said.
But even superheroes need a
sidekick. Batman had Robin,
and Chris had his EVkids
tutors. While he was attending
John D. O’Bryant School of
Math and Science, Chris
struggled with math, but he
received the support and
inspiration he needed to keep
moving towards his goal.
“The tutoring helped me a lot, especially the math,” Chris said. “EVkids taught me to have
an open mind and to not be afraid to try new things. I can specifically remember TutorTutee Days when we would go to the college campuses. That’s when I knew, ok, college isn’t
so bad.”
As Chris transitioned into college, he focused on his Criminal Justice studies and took a few
jobs to gain experience in law enforcement. He worked as a Campus Safety Officer at
Cambridge College, a Corrections Officer at the Suffolk County Sheriff Department, and a
Special Police Officer in the projects. Working in these different positions, Chris gained
valuable experience interacting with people from different backgrounds.
After graduating from Salem State College in 2010, Chris took the Police Officer Entrance
Exam and got accepted to the Boston Police Academy in 2013. Next, Chris battled through
six months of intense training, until he realized his dream in July of that year when he was
sworn in as a Police Officer for the Randolph Police Department.
Chris worked as a patrolman in Randolph for two-and-a-half years until the Juvenile
Detective position opened up at Randolph Community Middle School, a role he has been in
ever since. In this role, Chris investigates cases of felony and misdemeanor crimes that
involve juveniles as either the suspect or the victim. While he is still a Police Officer, it is
often a mix of detective and counselor. It has been years since he has been in the EVkids
program, but Chris sees his experience back then as helpful when he is interacting with kids
today.
“I was nervous coming into this position,” Chris said. “But just remembering how the tutors
conversed with me, how we talked. It was an easier transition.”
So, now Chris the role model. “The rewarding part is something as simple as a thank you
from a child,” he said.