Criminal Justice teacher Amy Gillett has worked at Questar III’s Rensselaer Educational Center (REC) in Troy for the past ten years.
Just recently, she was honored by the Troy Police Department with the Peter J. Magnetto Memorial Gold Shield Award.
REC’s Criminal Justice teacher, Amy Gillett, was honored with the Peter J. Magnetto Memorial Gold Shield Award.
This prestigious award is given to a community member and friend of the Police Benevolent Association (PBA) who had sincere personal sacrifice and/or professional effort and deed that greatly contributed to the quality of life for the people of the Troy community.
The PBA president, Bob Fitzgerald, presented Gillett with the award and praised her for emphasizing the importance of the code of conduct, ethics and integrity in her classroom.
Gillett was first introduced to the Troy Police Department seven years ago when she attended an Evidence Technician School to enhance her knowledge in the field of Forensics. The relationship with the local law enforcement community began here and acted as a bridge to Questar III, Questar III students and Troy police officers.
For her classroom, Gillett has used her relationship with the Troy Police Department to develop programs that enhance her students’ education and prepare them for college and the workforce. Every student completes an internship and the students take multiple field trips to Troy Police Department, the New York State Police Academy, Rensselaer County Jail and Coxsackie Correctional Facility. Students have interned at numerous locations including Albany Family Court, several police departments, United States Marine Corp. Recruiter Station and Rensselaer County District Attorney’s Office.
In addition to being a classroom teacher, Gillett also assists in the Troy Police Cadet program. An advisor of the program, she helped facilitate an agreement between Questar III and the Troy Police Cadets to allow them the use of the REC facility and equipment.
Gillett was thrilled to be acknowledged for her hard work.
“It’s an honor to be recognized and supported by the Troy City Police. I truly love teaching the students and inspiring them to become police officers, or enter into the field of Criminal Justice. The officers at Troy make my job easy by being the role models and heroes that I teach about,” she said.
Prior to teaching at Questar III, Gillett was a Corporal for the Georgetown Police Department in South Carolina and then returned to upstate New York to work for the Department of Corrections in a teaching capacity.
