{"id":32781,"date":"2026-03-03T09:18:48","date_gmt":"2026-03-03T14:18:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/necc.edu\/newsroom2\/2026\/03\/03\/women-of-the-necc-mptc-academy-discover-their-calling-and-community-together\/"},"modified":"2026-05-19T14:35:39","modified_gmt":"2026-05-19T18:35:39","slug":"women-of-the-necc-mptc-academy-discover-their-calling-and-community-together","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/necc.edu\/newsroom\/2026\/03\/03\/women-of-the-necc-mptc-academy-discover-their-calling-and-community-together\/","title":{"rendered":"Women of the NECC-MPTC Academy Discover Their Calling and Community Together"},"content":{"rendered":"

This Women\u2019s History Month, we\u2019re proud to spotlight the women of this year\u2019s Northern Essex Community College Municipal Police Training Committee (MPTC) cohort. These future officers who are not only preparing to serve communities across the Merrimack Valley and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, but who are actively reshaping what policing looks and feels like from the inside out.<\/p>\n

For many of these students, the decision to pursue law enforcement is deeply personal. Student officer Maria Dohopiaty, who emigrated from Brazil and speaks English as a second language, said policing is about service in its most direct form.<\/p>\n

\u201cHaving English as my second language made me think I could help people who maybe need help but don\u2019t speak English,\u201d she said. With a background in sociology, Dohopiaty often found herself asking, \u201cHow useful am I to my community?\u201d Through the academy, she adds, \u201cI learned so much about myself.\u201d<\/p>\n

For student officer Myo Theingi, the path became clear through experience. \u201cI fell in love with the process,\u201d she shared. \u201cI like what I\u2019ve been taught. That\u2019s why I came back. I like the work\u2014it\u2019s a calling. It\u2019s not just work or just a job.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"photo<\/a>

Back row: (L to R) Student Officers Rebecca Saarinen, Victoria Ohlson, Isabella Ricciardi, Myo Theingi, Taylor Girouard, Kathryn O’Donnell, Alejandra Medina Front Row: (L to R) Student Officers Alexa Carvalho, Shelbi Wilson, Jordan Manning, Maria Dohopiaty, Celia Carl<\/p><\/div>\n

That sense of calling is echoed across the cohort. But what makes this group especially powerful isn\u2019t just individual motivation\u2014it\u2019s collective strength.<\/p>\n

For some, law enforcement runs in the family. But this generation of women isn\u2019t simply continuing a legacy\u2014they\u2019re reframing it. Many grew up surrounded by male relatives in policing. \u201cIt\u2019s kind of like, if they can do it, we can do it\u201d, shared student officer Isabella Ricciardi.<\/p>\n

These women are proving to themselves, to their families, and to the next generation, that ability is not defined by gender, height, or outdated expectations.<\/p>\n

From day one, academy life is immersive. Student officer Kathryn O\u2019Donnell remembers the abrupt transition. \u201cComing back from day one, there\u2019s never a chance to be like, \u2018Hi, I\u2019m Kate.\u2019 You are throwing yourself into it,\u201d she said. \u201cYou just figure it out together. And most importantly, you stick together.\u201d<\/p>\n

That solidarity didn\u2019t happen by accident. \u201cThere are different backgrounds here\u2014there\u2019s 12 of us. We\u2019re not all going to get along,\u201d Theingi explained. \u201cWe don\u2019t always see eye to eye, but it\u2019s important to address that. Because if you don\u2019t have each other\u2019s back, then\u2026 who will?\u201d<\/p>\n

Student officer Shelbi Wilson sees communication as a strength women uniquely bring to the profession. \u201cOur willingness to talk to each other and communicate\u2014that\u2019s such a huge part of policing. We work together versus working against each other.\u201d<\/p>\n

In a profession often associated with toughness, these women are reframing what strength looks like. For them, it\u2019s collaboration. It\u2019s emotional intelligence. It\u2019s accountability.<\/p>\n

And sometimes, it\u2019s simply surviving the uniform. \u201cIt\u2019s tough,\u201d Wilson admitted. \u201cWe\u2019re wearing clothes that are made for men. It\u2019s hard to strip yourself of everything that makes you feel like a woman. We\u2019re still women without our nails and hair and clothes. We redefined what femininity is to us together.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dohopiaty added another layer of reality many women quietly carry. \u201cThe first week, I had so much gel in my hair,\u201d she said, laughing. \u201cI have curly hair, so trust me, it takes a while to get to this bun.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are always adapting, every single day as a female in this field\u201d, Dohopiaty stated.<\/p>\n

For these students, seeing women in uniform isn\u2019t just symbolic\u2014it\u2019s necessary. Student officer Jordan Manning notes that it still feels rare to see another female in the field.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe only time I remember seeing a female officer was at a funeral. I was like, \u2018Oh my God, there\u2019s a woman\u2014thank God.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

When asked whether the added challenges of womanhood make the work harder\u2014or strengthen their commitment\u2014the response was unanimous:<\/p>\n

\u201cStrengthen.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOnce you get over the \u2018I have to get up ten minutes earlier to do my hair than the boys do,\u2019\u201d another said, \u201cit makes you so much stronger.\u201d<\/p>\n

There is laughter when the conversation turns to improvements.<\/p>\n

\u201cUniforms,\u201d Wilson says immediately. \u201cPlease get better. Even the \u2018women\u2019s versions\u2019 don\u2019t fit right.\u201d \"student<\/a><\/p>\n

But beyond tailoring and tactical gear, their hopes run deeper: more female instructors, more visible leadership, more acknowledgment of the realities women face on the job. Most of all, they hope the profession continues evolving toward collaboration, empathy, and community-centered service.<\/p>\n

They are multilingual. They are first-generation. They are daughters, cousins, competitors, caretakers, and leaders. They are redefining strength in real time.<\/p>\n

As they gather in their locker room each morning\u2014refreshing, regrouping, reminding each other who they are\u2014they are building something that extends far beyond academy walls. They are building a future of policing that looks more and more like the communities it serves.<\/p>\n

About the Municipal Police Training Committee:<\/p>\n

The Municipal Police Training Committee (MPTC) develops and delivers world-class training across the Commonwealth to more than 20,000 officers at every stage of their careers, ranging from basic training for new officers to mandatory and specialized professional development training. An agency within the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security (EOPSS), MPTC is responsible for the statewide standardization of police training, delivering a modernized training program that aligns with national best practices, public expectations, and legislative mandates put forward by the 2020 police reform law. MPTC operates a network of convenient regional academies and authorizes independent academies that meet the Agency\u2019s standard of excellence.<\/p>\n

In addition to municipal officers, MPTC ensures the highest training standards for MBTA Police Officers, Environmental Police Officers, UMass Campus Police Officers, Campus Police Officers, and Deputy Sheriffs performing Police duties and functions.<\/p>\n

The MPTC operates Police Academies in Boylston, East Falmouth, Haverhill, Holyoke, Lynnfield, Plymouth, and Randolph. The MPTC also authorizes full-time academies with the Boston Police Academy, Cambridge Police Academy \u2013 Northeastern University, Fitchburg State University Police Program, Lowell Police Academy, MBTA Police Academy, Springfield Police Academy, Worcester Police Academy, Quinsigamond Community College, and the MA National Guard Civilian Academy. Learn more here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This Women\u2019s History Month, we\u2019re proud to spotlight the women of this year\u2019s Northern Essex Community College Municipal Police Training Committee (MPTC) cohort. 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