Featuring Ella Lewis of Murray, Neb., who is majoring in Criminal Justice.
Her dad’s job as a corrections officer – coupled with her volunteering on her community fire department – helped Ella Lewis realize she wanted a career helping people in some way. The sophomore from Murray, Neb., who is majoring in Criminal Justice at Wayne State, is this week’s focus of the Student Spotlight Series.
“My dad worked as a corrections officer for Douglas County, and he created a program for police officers to talk about their mental health,” said Lewis. “When volunteering on my local fire department, we were called to a horrible crime scene. It was sad but interesting at the same time, and we wanted to help the victims and their families as much as we could.”
Since she started attending Wayne State, Lewis no longer volunteers on her local fire department. She began looking for the next step, and her path to Wayne State didn’t take very long.
“Wayne State was one of the two colleges that I visited,” said Lewis. “I saw the amazing Criminal Justice program and the beautiful campus, and I knew instantly this was where I wanted to go to college.”
Another thing that impressed Lewis was Wayne State’s Theatre Program.
“I joined theatre this year, and I'm incredibly happy I did,” said Lewis. “Everybody involved works extremely hard and they care about the production, as well as each other, and I have so much love for it! In high school, we only had one-acts, but I was involved with them all four years.”
In fact, Lewis’s passion for theatre will be on display during Wayne State’s one-act plays being held in the Black Box Theatre on March 28-30.
At Wayne State, Lewis is active in Concert Band, the Wildcat Marching Band, theatre productions, the Drama Club, and the Theta Phi Alpha national sorority.
Lewis will graduate in 2027, and she intends to pursue a career as a forensic scientist.