Aaron Appelhans
Albany County Sheriff’s Office
Laramie, WY USA
"Find something that fits you. Don’t try to fit yourself into a position."
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Aaron's work combines: Law, Government, and Helping People
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Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Advice for getting started
When I was first recruited into law enforcement, I was not at all interested. I had already made a previous career change and changing again into law enforcement did not seem right for me. However, the chief that recruited me emphasized that you can teach someone to be a cop, but you can't necessarily teach them the personality skills that I already possessed. I took that to heart and gave law enforcement a chance—it ended up being the right fit for me.
Here's the path I took:
High School
Bachelor's Degree
Civil Engineering, General
University of Wyoming
Certification
Law Enforcement (multiple)
Life & Career Milestones
I've taken a lot of twists and turns
1.
I grew up in Colorado.
2.
After high school, I moved to Wyoming to attend the University of Wyoming—I graduated with a degree in civil engineering.
3.
I spent some time working in civil engineering, but ultimately decided it wasn’t right for me.
4.
I made a career change and got a job working at the University of Wyoming in recruitment marketing, admissions, and career counseling.
5.
After several years working for the university, I got recruited into law enforcement—I wasn’t interested at first, but was convinced I’d be a good fit by the chief who recruited me.
6.
I started in law enforcement as part of the University of Wyoming Police Department.
7.
In December 2020, I was appointed as sheriff of Albany County, Wyoming.
Defining Moments
How I responded to discouragement
THE NOISE
Messages from Myself:
Law enforcement is not for me. I'm not going to do that.
How I responded:
When I was first recruited into law enforcement, I was not at all interested. I had already made a previous career change and changing again into law enforcement did not seem right for me. However, the chief that recruited me emphasized that you can teach someone to be a cop, but you can't necessarily teach them the personality skills that I already possessed. I took that to heart and gave law enforcement a chance—it ended up being the right fit for me.
Experiences and challenges that shaped me
As the first Black sheriff in Wyoming, I received some racist comments off the bat. I expected that to happen, but not as quick as it did. I have a job to keep the peace and I'm determined to do that despite any hate.