District Group Commander of the Police, Inspector Donna Mitchell shared her journey at Rotary last Thursday. Donna has always wanted to teach and mentor others, and saw a career in the Police force as a way of realizing that dream. She started her police journey at the Ringwood Police station and moved from there to work on trains and "stare at people" as part of the Transit program. After being promoted to senior constable, she saw an opportunity to move her education dream forward and set up a training program at the Ringwood station. After that program's success, she personally went to the Glen Waverley Police Academy and informed them that the Academy needed her! They agreed, and for nine years, she conducted many 20-week training programs for Police cadets in that institution. From there, she worked in and gathered valuable experience in the Police Monitoring Assessment Centre in Melbourne - the surveillance hub of all "the action" in the city. During the same period, she also embarked on a study career and completed two under-graduate degrees and a Masters of Education! With the Monitoring centre experience and her degrees under her belt, she applied for all of the 16 promotion positions that were currently available at the time - without telling her husband! Consequently, he was just a little surprized to learn that Donna had secured the Group Commander position in "the Goldfields" area - wherever that was. Donna obviously brings to this central Victorian police area a wealth of useful contacts, and she plans to use her knowledge and skills to make our district communities better places - which is why has has a particular sympathy with our club's "#SayNO" campaign. I know I speak for all in attendance last Thursday when I say we were very impressed by her presentation, and feel very fortunate that she is helping to look after our area.Inspector Donna Shares her Journey
District Group Commander of the Police, Inspector Donna Mitchell shared her journey at Rotary last Thursday. Donna has always wanted to teach and mentor others, and saw a career in the Police force as a way of realizing that dream. She started her police journey at the Ringwood Police station and moved from there to work on trains and "stare at people" as part of the Transit program. After being promoted to senior constable, she saw an opportunity to move her education dream forward and set up a training program at the Ringwood station. After that program's success, she personally went to the Glen Waverley Police Academy and informed them that the Academy needed her! They agreed, and for nine years, she conducted many 20-week training programs for Police cadets in that institution. From there, she worked in and gathered valuable experience in the Police Monitoring Assessment Centre in Melbourne - the surveillance hub of all "the action" in the city. During the same period, she also embarked on a study career and completed two under-graduate degrees and a Masters of Education! With the Monitoring centre experience and her degrees under her belt, she applied for all of the 16 promotion positions that were currently available at the time - without telling her husband! Consequently, he was just a little surprized to learn that Donna had secured the Group Commander position in "the Goldfields" area - wherever that was. Donna obviously brings to this central Victorian police area a wealth of useful contacts, and she plans to use her knowledge and skills to make our district communities better places - which is why has has a particular sympathy with our club's "#SayNO" campaign. I know I speak for all in attendance last Thursday when I say we were very impressed by her presentation, and feel very fortunate that she is helping to look after our area.