From the time she was in sixth grade, Tyiana Nunez knew she wanted to be an FBI agent. Since then, the Criminal Justice major has had many opportunities to see what her future career is like in real time.
She has investigated several mock crime scenes alongside professors who work in the criminal justice field. Her favorite class to date? Criminal Investigations. 鈥淲ith the assistance of two detectives from the Rockland County Sheriff鈥檚 Office, we got to go through the whole process of investigating a mock murder, from the crime scene to interrogations and all the paperwork in between,鈥� Tyiana says. 鈥淚t was a great experience and opportunity to network.鈥�
A summer internship at the Sheriff鈥檚 Office gave Tyiana even more hands-on experience in the field and exposed her to its various facets, from the Marine Unit to Transports and even the Police Academy. 鈥淚 assisted many different detectives and units,鈥� she explains, adding that she did everything from basic training with a K9 arson dog, observed polygraphs, fingerprinted, and even learned how to helm a boat. 鈥淚t was a once-in-a-lifetime experience I will be forever grateful for and will take with me as I begin my career,鈥� she says.
After starting out at STAC as a Forensic Science major, Tyiana quickly realized that, as much as she loves science, she really wanted to work in the field conducting investigations. So with some guidance from her favorite Criminal Justice professor, Dr. Chayet, she switched her major to Criminal Justice and made Forensic Psychology her minor. 鈥淒r. Chayet said 鈥榃elcome to the dark side,鈥欌�� Tyiana recalls. 鈥淪he has certainly taken me under her wing. Through her guidance, I鈥檝e been able to excel in the Criminal Justice program.鈥�
There was a time when Tyiana wasn鈥檛 sure if she鈥檇 even be able to attend college, but her determination to pursue her dreams led her on the road to STAC. Tyiana says it鈥檚 a gift she learned from her mom: 鈥淪he has been through so much and lets nothing stop her,鈥� she says, adding that her mom faced many challenges raising three children as a single parent. In a speech Tyiana delivered at STAC鈥檚 Annual Tribute Dinner, she shared some of these struggles with the audience, explaining that her mom worked multiple jobs and many times sacrificed her own meals just so her children could eat. 鈥淭hat really pushed me to want to do better and make her proud.鈥�
Receiving a scholarship from STAC not only enabled her to study Criminal Justice but also opened many doors for Tyiana to make the most of her college years. She has actively participated in numerous extracurriculars, including athletics鈥攕he鈥檚 a member of the NCAA Division II Women鈥檚 Triathlon Team as well as the Track and Field Team. She also serves as an RA and Spartan Ambassador on campus and sings and performs with Stacapella and the STAC Singers. Singing has always been one of her favorite hobbies and Tyiana even auditioned for 鈥淭he Voice鈥� in her freshman year. Her other favorite pastime, which comes as no surprise, is watching crime shows like 鈥淟aw & Order,鈥� 鈥淒esignated Survivor,鈥� and 鈥淏lacklist.鈥�
Five years from now, Tyiana envisions herself holding a master鈥檚 degree and working as an FBI or Secret Service agent. 鈥淔rom a very young age, I have always wanted to help people and make a difference,鈥� she says. 鈥淭here are so many skills I have learned at STAC that have made me who I am today and I can鈥檛 wait to use my talents in the real world.鈥�