For C.W. Post Graduate, Criminal Justice Runs in the Family

For Suzanne Oldfield, unearthing the truth is a full-time job. Since January, when she received her dual B.S./M.A. degree, magna cum laude, in criminal justice at the C.W. Post Campus of Long Island University in Brookville, she spends her time performing background and due diligence investigations for Fortress Global Investigations Corporation (www.fortressglobal.com), a private investigation and security firm, based in New York.

The profession runs in the family. Oldfield’s father, a big James Bond fan, worked as an investigator for the City of New York’s Department of Sanitation for over 30 years.

The 21-year-old Bayside, Queens resident initially wanted to become a lawyer until she took a high school personality test that suggested she enter the Federal Bureau of Investigation. "I realized that I wanted to be out there helping the public, kicking down doors, catching criminals and saving the world," she said.

Oldfield will march in the 46^th annual commencement ceremony at the C.W. Post Campus on May 9 to mark the completion of her B.S./M.A. in criminal justice and she will begin studies for a Ph.D. in criminal justice at the CUNY Graduate Center located at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in the fall. She will attend school part-time while continuing to work full-time for Fortress Global Investigations.

"I want to continue working in the private sector for now, using this time to fine-tune my skills and invest some time with my current firm," she said. She hopes to some day move on to work for the federal government, possibly as an agent with the FBI.

"I’ve always been intrigued by crime and the way a criminal’s mind works," she added. "I like to figure things out." Oldfield has even considered attending medical school at some point so she can become a medical examiner for the NYPD.

Before joining her current firm, Oldfield interned for the New York City Police Department in the Intelligence Division as an Intelligence Analyst for almost two years. She heard about her current company through a press release, applied for a position and ended up interning with them while she still clocked hours at the police department before going full-time in February.

Oldfield will be one of more than 2,500 students who will don their caps and gowns on Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 9, 2004 for the 46^th annual commencement exercises of the C.W. Post Campus of Long Island University. The campus has awarded more than 88,000 degrees in its 50-year history, through a broad range of undergraduate and graduate programs.