Committed to strengthening public service through higher education, The Volcker Alliance in partnership with the City University of New York (CUNY), hosted the Paul A. Volcker Careers in Government Essay Contest to recognize and advance students who are committed to pursuing careers in public service and bettering communities. Two CUNY students, including John Jay’s own Jason Waitkus ’21, were named the winners during an awards breakfast on December 13. Each will receive a yearlong paid internship with a local government agency, a monthly unlimited MetroCard for the internship’s duration, $5,000 in cash, and an expense-paid trip to a public-service related conference. “Public service is working within a community in order to improve it and work for the common good,” said Waitkus in his award-winning essay. “Throughout my life, I have always desired to help others and improve the world around me.”

Waitkus, a Macaulay Honors College student who is majoring in Forensic Psychology, credits John Jay and his involvement with the Prisoner Reentry Institute’s Prison-to-College Pipeline program for giving him a greater understanding of the obstacles criminal justice-involved individuals face when leaving the criminal justice system. “As part of the Prison-to-College Pipeline learning exchange program, I attended classes inside Otisville Correctional Facility, where I learned alongside incarcerated males,” said Waitkus, adding that the experience provided him with a unique opportunity to better understand the issues being faced by those coming home from the criminal justice system. “Learning about the systemic issues in our system of incarceration has only increased my drive to work within the criminal justice and law enforcement communities.” We sat down with Waitkus to learn more about his journey at John Jay, his experience throughout the Volcker Essay contest, and his goals for the future.

What was your life like growing up?
I grew up on Long Island in Wantagh, New York with my parents, older sister, and younger brother. Two of my uncles were involved in law enforcement—one was a police officer with the New York City Police Department (NYPD) and the other was a Federal Marshal—and that led to my having an interest in working in law enforcement from an early age.

What appealed to you about John Jay?
Growing up, I wanted to work in the criminal justice field, either as a police officer or FBI agent. In high school, I became interested in psychology and the way in which the mind works and I began looking into schools that would allow me to combine my criminal justice and psychology interests. This led me to the Forensic Psychology major at John Jay and the Macaulay Honors College.

What attracted you to the Paul A. Volcker Careers in Government Essay Contest?
I decided to enter the contest because of the focus on public service and the chance to have a yearlong internship in a New York City agency that is focused on and dedicated to public service. My hope is to work closely with individuals who have been criminal justice-involved, educating them, and improving their chances for rehabilitation and job opportunities, so that they can make positive contributions to their communities.

What was the essay writing experience like for you?
Writing the essay came naturally for me because I was writing about something that is important to me. Writing about public service and the way in which I hope to help reduce mass incarceration and improve the criminal justice system is something that I often talk about with my friends here at John Jay.

What topic did you write about and how does this topic fit into your future career plans?
I wrote about my desire to help individuals released from prison get back on their feet. My goal is to work for a nonprofit aimed at helping criminal justice-involved individuals leaving the criminal justice system. I want to focus on education and job training, as well as advocate for the removal of “the box”—which indicates whether a person has been convicted of a felony or not. I hope to help individuals released from prison become contributing members of society and help reduce the recidivism rate. I’m also thinking about pursuing a law degree to aid in my career and advocate for changes in the criminal justice system.

What does winning this essay contest mean to you?
Being one of the winners is truly amazing and creates more opportunities for my future. When I entered the contest, I never expected to be a finalist, let alone win. But I wanted to enter because I felt it was right up my alley. Plus, the opportunity of having an internship with a state agency in New York is priceless. Winning the Paul A. Volcker Careers in Government Essay Contest will greatly improve my chances of getting into a Ph.D. or J.D. program, it will open up new career paths in the future, and brings me a step closer to creating change in the criminal justice system.