WYOMISSING, Pa. — Elizabeth Heffron has had many roles in her young life including U.S. Marine, wife and mother. On Saturday, May 9, she will add college graduate to the list when she earns her bachelor’s degree in criminal justice with a minor in psychological science.
Heffron did not set out to earn a Penn State Berks degree, she said. The Dothan, Alabama native joined the Marine Corps right after graduating from high school. She explained that her family is made up of Air Force veterans, and her competitive nature drew her to the Marine Corps due to its reputation for intensity and high standards of physical fitness. She enlisted in the Marine Corps delayed entry program (DEP) while still in 10th grade and with her mother’s signature of approval, and shipped out right after graduation.
“I watched my brother graduate from Air Force boot camp and I wanted to try something different,” she said.
Heffron served in the Marines from 2015 to 2023 (active duty for four years and inactive for four). In her role, she provided ground and air field support for vehicles and set up operating bases to fuel convoys.
She also met her husband in the Marines. After they got pregnant, she said, and her active duty time in the Marines came to an end, they decided to relocate to Pottsville, Pennsylvania, where her husband’s large family lives.
Heffron said she was soon ready for the next challenge and she decided to earn a degree. She began her studies at another university but found it wasn’t a good fit for her, and that’s when she heard about Penn State Berks from a friend who took classes at the campus.
Heffron explained that she chose the criminal justice degree program because she liked the military-like structure of careers in the field.
During her time at Penn State Berks, she maintained a full course load and a 3.5 GPA, while raising two small children — the second was born after she enrolled in 2023. She juggled these responsibilities mostly on her own, with help from her husband’s family, as her husband was deployed much of the time in the Marine Corps Reserves, and later the Air National Guard.
During her time at Penn State Berks, Heffron had an opportunity to complete an internship with the Minersville Police Department, near her home. She said, “I did a lot of ride-alongs, wrote reports and went out on a lot of calls.”
She also conducted research with her faculty adviser, Jennifer Murphy, professor of criminal justice, studying the transfer admission process for criminal justice majors from other institutions of higher education to Penn State Berks.
In addition, she served as a learning assistant in the college’s introduction to public speaking course. Through an environmental science course, Heffron got involved in the city of Reading’s Earth Day celebration, helping to organize the annual event.
When asked how her time at Penn State Berks has prepared her for the future, Heffron stated, “I feel well-prepared. The classes were enlightening and the public speaking course helped a lot. They helped me to build confidence in myself.”
Heffron said she is already looking for her next challenge and is interested in pursuing a position in the Federal Bureau of Investigation or other federal law enforcement organization.