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From YouTube: I am CMPD Officer Kenia Medrano
Description
Take a look at this inspirational story of determination, and how one woman is making a difference on the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Force. Plus, how you can, too.
A
B
Moved
to
United
States
Niles
about
four
with
my
mother.
We
actually
lived
up
north
in
the
New
York
area
when
I
first
moved
to
Charlotte,
I
went
to
Cotswolds
Elementary
for
about
a
year
and
then
for
middle
school,
I
went
to
Randolph
middle
and
then
I
went
to
East
Neck
for
two
years.
I
finally
ended
up
at
geringer.
That's
where
I
graduated
from
since
I
was
a
young
kid
I,
just
remember,
playing
with
my
toy
water
gun
and
going
around
the
billings
trying
to
search
people
and
stuff.
B
So
it
was
just
that
thing
that
started
when
I
was
a
kid
and,
as
I
got
older,
I
kind
of
became
more
serious,
especially
after
I
joined
that
explorers
program,
and
that's
where
I
got
to
see
what
real
police
work
was
about.
It
really
wasn't
anything
when
I
saw
on
TV,
but
I
got
to
see
the
impact
that
the
officers
made
in
the
community
and
me
being
able
to
help
out
with
certain
events.
B
I
was
able
to
get
a
little
bit
of
that
feedback
of
how
it
would
it
felt
like
to
help
people
and
I
just
felt
really
good.
You
know
to
know
that
you
helped
them
made
a
difference
in
someone's
life.
I
was
in
a
patrol
car
with
a
police
officer
and
on
the
side
of
the
road.
Was
this
lady
Hispanic
female?
She
flagged
up
the
vehicle
down
police
car
down
the
officer
stomped
pulled
over
and
got
out
of
the
car
and
spoke
with
her
about
two
seconds
later.
B
He
comes
up
taps
my
window
and
says:
do
you
speak
Spanish?
It's
like
an
I
do
and
so
I
got
out.
I
looked
at
the
female.
She
it
was
just
summer
was
cold.
She
had
like
a
nightgown
on
a
little
tiny
sweater
and
underneath
her
nightgown,
like
a
pair
of
sweatpants,
almost
like
she
described
whatever
she
could
ran
out
the
house
and
her
face
was
bruised.
She
was
crying.
She
was
upset,
basically
translated
for
her
when
I
got
out
the
video
and
helped
us
translate.
B
I
hope
officer
take
a
signal
from
her
and
then
they
took
out
warrants
and
the
rest
and
we
helped
her
get
to
them.
Go
to
the
battered
women
shelter
about
two
weeks
later.
She
calls
me-
and
she
thanked
me
for
everything
that
I
did
for
her
after
that
I
realize
I'm
like
well.
I
can
really
make
a
difference,
especially
with
my
language
skills.
B
That
was
a
day
I
realize
I'm
like
this
is
definitely
what
I
want
to
do
at
the
cadet
program
is
similar
to
explorers,
except
it's
more
advanced
for
college
students
who
are
also
interested
in
law
enforcement.
It's
a
job
and
you
are
employed
through
the
city
through
the
police
department.
So
you
get
a
uniform
and
the
best
part
of
all.
Is
you
get
educational
reimbursement,
so
I
was
able
to
go
to
college
pretty
much
for
free
or
I?
B
Think
if
it
wasn't
for
me
joining
the
Explorers
and
getting
those
connections
made,
I
wouldn't
have
gotten
into
the
cadet
program.
Hence
I
would
probably
have
not
gone
to
college
or
maybe
not
full
four
years,
so
I'm
really
thankful
for
all
those
opportunities
that
I
had
and
I
definitely
believe
that
it
led
me
to
where
I
am
now
well.
My
mom,
you
know,
allowed
me
to
be
an
explorer
program.
B
So,
in
a
way
that
was
aware
of
her
supporting
me,
she's
nervous,
even
to
this
day,
just
like
any
other
mother,
would
be
of
their
children
joining.
You
know:
Police
Department,
she's
really
proud,
especially
when
she
sees
on
news
articles
of
me
in
the
Spanish
newspaper,
and
then
my
friends
will
cut
out
the
pictures
and
post
them
up
at
her
job
and
when
I
speak
with
a
lot
of
the
Hispanic
community,
they
come
out
to
me
and
they
first
you
know.
B
First
and
foremost,
they
say
how
proud
they
are
that
they
have
a
Hispanic
female
officer,
but
they
can
look
to
and
if
they
have
any
concerns
or
questions,
I'm
right
there
for
them,
because
they
know
that
they
can
communicate
with
me,
which
is
a
big
thing
being
Hispanic.
The
department
is
so
into
getting
more
diverse
officers
and
it
really
benefited
me
helped
me
get
through
the
process
once
I
got
out
in
patrol
being
around
all
the
male
officers.
I
was
an
outsider
and
that's
probably
the
only
difference.
B
I
would,
as
being
Hispanic
or
in
a
female
officer
kind
of
to
go
a
little
extra
mile,
just
to
prove
yourself
and
that
you're
capable
of
doing
the
same
job
that
they
do,
but
once
you
do
that
they
respect
you
fully
and
they
accept
us
on
on
their
own
I.
Wasn't
a
patrol
officer,
basically
just
answering
customer
service
on
third
shift.
Some
gonna
be
moved
to
an
fmt
position,
which
is
a
hooking
my
focus
mission
team.
It
was
in
my
same
division.
It
will
just
be
concentrating
on
certain
crime
trends
such
as
robberies
and
beanies.
B
You
know
just
getting
out
people
talking
doing
traffic
stops,
doing,
search,
horns
and
stuff
like
that,
so
it's
gonna
be
more
hands-on,
more
proactive
position,
I
want
a
continuing
officer.
I
have
no
no
desire
to
go
into
ranking
or
anything
like
that.
My
ultimate
goal,
I,
would
love
to
be
a
real
resource
officer.
I
feel
like
me.
B
Being
a
minority
I
can
give
them
a
good
example
it
you
know,
don't
let
that
hold
you
back
from
trying
to
reach
something
that
you
want
to
reach
I
felt
like
it
was
just
natural
for
me
to
go
back
and
become
an
adviser
for
the
program,
so
I
can
continue,
helping
the
program
and
help
future.
You
know
generations
explore
the
field
of
law
enforcement
and
I
love
it.
It's
a
great
position
for
me
I'm
just
saying
that
anything
is
possible.
B
I
think
I'm
a
good
example
that,
just
based
on
the
fact
that
we
came
here
really
poor
immigrants.
You
know
not
speaking
English
and
Here
I
am
speaking
English
as
US
citizen,
a
police
officer.
So
a
good
example
is
that
anything's
possible?
If
you
really
put
your
mind
to
it,
just
the
fact
that
police
work
is
known
as
a
male-dominated
field.
Don't
let
that
discourage
you
from
trying
out
and
don't
let
the
fact
that
you
may
not
be
able
to
do
a
push-up
right
now,
discourage
you
or
run
three
miles,
discouraging
I'll.
B
Tell
you
from
experience.
I
was
able
to
run
one
mile
when
I
took
the
jar
packages
of
the
preliminary
test,
physical
test
that
you
take
at
the
academy,
your
body
will
get
used
to
it
and,
by
the
end
of
it,
you're
gonna
be
in
the
best
shape
of
your
life.
I
believe
women.
We
have
we're
really
strong.
You
know
emotional,
physically
we're
smart
and
a
lot
of
police
work
is
speaking
with
people
and
that's
something
that
will
get
that
to
you.
So
we
have
all
the
qualities
that
it
takes
to
be
a
good
police
officer.