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Bailey began college knowing exactly what he wanted. His professors pushed his aspirations higher.

Influenced by his father, who is a corrections officer, Bailey always knew he wanted to work in the field of criminal justice, most likely as a detective. At Rider, he was tasked with exploring various routes he could take after graduation for a course required of all criminal justice majors. His research involved talking to real professionals about the pros and cons of their chosen fields.

“It really helped me to focus on what I wanted and helped me decipher which route I wanted to take,” Bailey says. “My Rider professors encouraged me to reach higher for my goals.”

He sharpened those aspirations through five internships.

As an undergraduate, Bailey interned for two police departments (in Maplewood, New Jersey, and Morrisville, Pennsylvania), two district attorneys (in Suffix County, New York, and Newark, New Jersey) and the United States Marshals Service.

“Those experiences were enlightening, and I’m grateful for them,” he says. “I became more confident after every one.”

Being proactive in using the resources available for all Rider students paid off.

Bailey’s internship opportunities arose through the relationships he developed with his professors as well as his reliance on Rider’s Office of Career Development and Success.

“I can’t overstate the importance of networking with professors because they have connections in the field that students would never know about otherwise,” Bailey says. “You have to develop relationships with them for them to advocate for you. Students should also use the Career Development office because they are very efficient and effective with job searching and internships and helping with your resume.”

He landed a dream job, and his dreams just keep getting bigger.

After Rider, Bailey enrolled at American University, where he earned a master’s degree in terrorism and homeland security policy. As a graduate student, he completed a student internship initiative with the United States Secret Service called the Pathways Program. He was subsequently hired as an investigative analyst, a role in which he assists agents with their investigations by providing background research.

He now has his eyes set on a graduate certificate from Harvard University in cybersecurity, a topic he was first introduced to at Rider. Bailey’s long-term career goal is to found his own private cybersecurity firm.

“The programs at Rider definitely helped me set my sights on what I wanted,” he says. “They helped me gain the knowledge and also the relationships I needed to help me professionally.”