29
August
2014
|
11:38 AM
America/Chicago

Bellevue Alum Helps Keep St. Kitts Safe

Bellevue Alum Helps Keep St. Kitts Safe

By Dan Silvia, Communications Manager

It’s never too soon to start planning your winter vacation getaway, so now is a good time to move St. Kitts (formally known as St. Christopher) and Nevis to the top of your list of destinations. Carnival officially begins on Christmas Eve on the two Caribbean Islands.

Plus, you’ve got friends in high places there.

Celvin Walwyn, who earned his bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice Administration from Bellevue University in 2007 and followed up with his master’s degree in Security Management in 2008, is the Commissioner of the The Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force.

Walwyn was prompted to return to school for several reasons. He needed to obtain certification recognized by his then-employer, the Orange County, Fla., Sherriff’s Department. One of his colleagues, Carlos Torres, was attending Bellevue University at the time and pointed him to the school. He also wanted to be a role model for his children.

WalwynandWife“I went back to college again because my first child was entering college,” said Walwyn, who had previous credit from the University of the Virgin Islands in the late 1970s. “I wanted to show her it could be done. Today, my daughter has a master’s degree from University of North Texas and Mary Hardin Baylor University. Of my four daughters, two are college graduates and two are enrolled in college.”

The Bellevue University experience has been a family affair for Walwyn. His wife, Antoinette, holds both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in Security Management from the University. Orville Hudson, a friend of the Walwyn’s attended at the same time and earned a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice.

“The three of us graduated together,” Walwyn said. “My wife is now a security consultant for Walwyn International Network and Orville owns a nursing home in Houston, Texas. That is what I enjoyed most, reaching back and bringing two people to the front with me.”

Walwyn is a native of St. Kitts, although he left the island at 13-years old in the 1970s before returning as Police Commissioner in September of 2011.

“My career has been impacted greatly (by my Bellevue University degree) because I have not only theoretical tools, but I am able to apply practical applications in real life, in my every day affairs in law enforcement,” he said. “I was always looking for solutions and was very proactive in patrols and crime fighting. The lessons learned at Bellevue placed me in the forefront at Orange County Sheriff's Office. I no longer thought like a deputy, I began thinking like a leader and began paving the road for that eventuality.”

Walwyn is currently pursuing his Ph.D. with Capella University.

“My dissertation, of which I am almost complete, is a phenomenological study on what factors influence Florida State Troopers in Orange County to enforce the DUI statute,” Walwyn said. “The momentum of the master’s program from Bellevue motivated me to continue in the furtherance of my doctoral education.”