Magnet Program: Criminal Justice Academy Graduate’s Success
For Ashley Ligas, a graduate of the Criminal Justice Academy at Pinellas Park High, government affairs is both a career path and a passion. What started as a childhood interest in solving mysteries developed into a passion for the law and the legislative process.

Ashley attended the Mathematics Education for Gifted Secondary School Students (MEGSSS) program at Seminole Middle and then moved to the Pinellas Park magnet as a freshman. Originally she explored a career in forensic science, but after a few weeks of biology class and a forensics guest speaker, she determined that crime scene investigation was not the path she wanted to take. “That is the beauty of the Criminal Justice Academy program,” Ashley explained. “Students have an opportunity to explore their interests in various careers that relate to law enforcement and the legal profession.”

“By far, the greatest asset of the Criminal Justice Academy program is the teachers and the administration,” said Ashley. Because many of the teachers have had careers in law enforcement, students are more engaged and more excited to participate in the various projects and activities because they know they are learning from someone with real-world experience, she added. History and civics become more interesting when students understand how the government’s action impacts people’s everyday lives.

Ashley, a 2008 Florida State University Law School graduate, is studying for the Florida Bar Exam. She spent the last few years working with the state legislature as an aide to an elected official and a legislative analyst. For more information on the Criminal Justice Academy, call 538-7410, ext. 120, or visit www.cja.pinellas.k12.fl.us.