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
I do recommend going to college and earning a bachelor's degree, but the specific degree itself can be in any number of things. So many of the skills you learn from any degree can transfer into many different careers. When trying to find the right career for you, don't necessarily think about the specific profession you want to do. Instead, think about the aspects of a job that you enjoy and find fulfillment in, then find a job that matches that.
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.