Bill Althoff, a 1974 and 1998 alum, reached out to share his story about his journey from sociology student to police officer and beyond and the lessons he learned along the way. He hopes his story will help inspire current sociology students. Read on to learn what Althoff had to say!

It is somewhat difficult to believe that my fiftieth Virginia Tech class reunion will be held this year. What would I say to new undergraduates in sociology from that perspective? As in all fields of study, students are sometimes wondering what they will actually do with their degree.

There were twists and turns along the way, but I do believe I stayed in the field of “applied sociology.” Just as I was graduating from high school in the spring of 1970, the shootings at Kent State University made a huge impression on me. As I considered these things at Virginia Tech, I came to believe that correcting such issues would have to come from within the organizations involved. So, I became a police officer in Roanoke, Virginia about two years after my 1974 graduation from Virginia Tech.

Just having a strong interest in lawful social justice and conduct does not mean that everything will go well all the time. Police work is dangerous. Understanding the potential motivations of others can help in organizing one’s thoughts or evaluation of personal encounters.

Virginia Tech certainly does teach one how to take tests, and in law enforcement, promotional opportunities are usually connected to taking some sort of test.  When at the rank of Lieutenant, I became Director of the Roanoke Police Academy where I was responsible for the initial and in-service training of the department.  When the recruit class was going through formal training on when lethal force could be used, I made certain that I was the one teaching that class. I wanted to know that each student in my class fully understood the responsibility and the ramifications of their use of a firearm. 

During that time at the Police Academy, I had two students who went on to later direct that same police academy and two who went on to become Chief of Police in Roanoke. I well remember the day when a young student came into my office and said he wanted to be a police officer. His name was Mac Babb, and he is currently the Virginia Tech Chief of Police.

Police officers make a difference in their community every day, and being a good police officer takes every bit of knowledge and training that one can possess. No one gets rich being a police officer, but there are many benefits, such as flexibility on the use of paid leave and reimbursement of college training costs. Through this benefit, I earned my master’s in public administration from Virginia Tech in 1998. Additionally, there are few in today’s workforce that receive a pension, but my pension allows me to walk on the beach every day in retirement.

I still treasure the joy of learning and actively read anthropology and history. The Virginia Tech flag flies in my yard on the day of every football game. While the future for current sociology students is not yet fully known, I hope they recognize that the principals of social understanding will help them regardless of where their “applied sociology” path may lead.

Written and provided by Bill Althoff, B.S. ’74,  MPA ‘98