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About the Experience
About the Experience
This semester, fifteen SLCC criminology students attended the 38th Annual Crime Victims Conference on April 30th and May 1st, 2026. The conference is a two-day statewide event that pulls together victim advocates, law enforcement, prosecutors, social workers, and attorneys— basically the full ecosystem of people working in victim services. Students attended as a cohort and presented original research posters they had developed throughout the semester in CJ-2470. That poster work was not a last-minute add-on. It was the throughline of the course, and presenting it at a statewide professional conference was the payoff.
Students were locked in the whole time, moving between sessions and workshops with genuine energy and curiosity. But the biggest moment, and the one I keep coming back to, is this: SLCC students presented at this conference for the first time in its history. And the response was something else. Professionals came up to students after their presentations just to tell them how much it meant to them. A lot of those conversations turned into something more, like mentorship offers, internship leads, direct professional connections with people working in the exact spaces these students want to enter. Several students had long conversations with advocates and prosecutors who expressed real interest in staying in touch. For a lot of them, the conference reframed what a career in victim services could actually look like. They came in with one idea and left with something broader and more grounded.
- David Robles, Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice
Student Reflections
Student Reflections
Hailey Paiz
Hailey Paiz
"... this experience reinforced that I am on the right path with my major and future career. Before the conference, I saw it as something I had to get through, but now, it’s a defining moment. The week of the conference, and the time after, created new memories and achievements that I didn’t see in myself but others did. This experience left me full of joy and accomplished but I didn’t leave without tears. As someone who is highly empathetic, it was difficult to carry the emotions of survivors, but it also reminded me why this work matters. It showed me that I am not only capable of doing this work, but that I care deeply about it. Having a great professor as both a mentor and role model reinforced that even more. They are someone who isn’t afraid to wear their heart on their sleeve, showing up for others in difficult moments, while supporting their students with both pride and genuine emotion."
Josie Counter
Josie Counter
"Going to the Crime Victim Conference was one of the coolest experiences I have had. I have presented research in both lower and higher education, but nothing like the CVC. It was awesome to be the first group of students to present at this conference. It really made me feel like a trailblazer, and I am much more confident in my research abilities and my career choice. I loved hearing what every speaker had to say. I am grateful I learned so much more about trauma-informed practices. Learning these practices earlier in my studies/career will really benefit me in the long run. I am also so grateful I was able to connect more deeply with my peers. I made a lot of friends over the days we were gone, and it made things a lot easier."
Abby Caroll
Abby Caroll
"... I am proud of myself and grateful for the amazing feedback I received from the people I spoke to. I also learned that everyone else there has anxiety, doubts, and imposter syndrome. We’re all figuring it out, and that’s why we lean on one another. This is not easy work; it’s heavy and will come home with us. That’s why we build community. I’m grateful for the opportunity to network with professionals. I even got someone’s business card!"
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