skip to main content
Greg Miraglia

Greg Miraglia

Napa Valley College

Career Roadmap

Greg's work combines: Education, Law, and Teaching / Mentoring

See more careers and stories that connect to your interests.

Take Roadmap Quiz

Day In The Life

Dean of Occupational Services

I teach LGBT studies and law enforcement at Napa Valley Junior College.

Skills & Education

Here's the path I took:

  • High School

  • Bachelor's Degree

    University of Phoenix-Southern Arizona Campus

  • Graduate Degree

    Business Administration and Management, General

    University of Phoenix-Southern Arizona Campus

Here's the path I recommend for someone who wants to be an Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teachers, Postsecondary:

Graduate Degree: Education, General

Learn more about different paths to this career

Life & Career Milestones

My path in life took a while to figure out

  • 1.

    First, I was hired as a police cadet with the Walnut Creek Police Department in 1978.

  • 2.

    I was hired as a police academy instructor after 5 years of working on the police force.

  • 3.

    I was appointed academy director of Napa Police Academy in 1999.

  • 4.

    I met Judy Shepard in June 2001 and got involved with the Matthew Shepard Foundation.

  • 5.

    I came out of the closet as a gay man in 2004.

  • 6.

    I wrote my first book of gay police officer coming out stories in 2007.

  • 7.

    I got married to the love of my life, also a teacher, in 2006.

  • 8.

    In 2012, I created an accredited LGBT studies program that I now teach at my college.

Defining Moments

How I responded to discouragement

  • THE NOISE

    Messages from Society in general:

    Being gay is a sin and is bad. You could not have career in law enforcement if you were gay. In 1978, I heard politicians say you couldn't be a public school teacher if you were gay. The message was consistent that being gay was unacceptable.

  • How I responded:

    Stay focused on your goals and always be true to yourself. Always strive to live an authentic life and realize you can't always expect everyone to accept you. The key to changing the hearts and minds of those who don't understand is to share your story.

Experiences and challenges that shaped me

Click to expand

  • Stay focused on your dreams and goals, but always be true to yourself by living an authentic life. Surround yourself with a strong support system.

Related Leaders

No related leaders found