She participated in the University of Illinois Springfield commencement exercises May 17, where she received her degree in criminal justice, and then will graduate from the Illinois State Police Training Academy in September as likely the first black woman to be hired for the UIS Campus Police force.
Skaggs, 26, shared the graduation stage earlier this month with her sister, Natalia, who got her degree in social work. They are the first members of their family to graduate from college.
That family connection is important to Skaggs, who was born in Plano, Texas, but moved to Edinburg in time for the sixth grade.
She applied for a position on the campus police force because it was one of the first law enforcement jobs she heard about. She got the letter offering her the campus police job on her birthday.
“And, it was in Springfield!” she said. “My mom, brother and sister are all here, and I wanted to be around them. I'm very family-oriented.”
Skaggs got an associate degree from Lincoln Land Community College before completing her bachelor's degree at UIS.
Skaggs was featured by The State Journal-Register on May 28, 2014.
Read the article online
