School Resource Officer Cassidy Ruchti is leading the Ladies in Law Enforcement Club at Kromrey Middle School, which meets monthly to introduce students to careers in law enforcement and other fields traditionally dominated by men. The club’s April meeting, held at the Middleton Police Department, featured Officers Thomas Coyne and Elizabeth Erickson from the Madison Police Department’s Mounted Patrol Unit, who brought two horses named Spirit and Torres for students to meet.
The club aims to empower young girls by exposing them to various career options and female role models. This initiative aligns with the Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District’s focus on community engagement through extracurricular activities and leadership opportunities for students, according to the official website.
During their visit, Officers Coyne and Erickson discussed how mounted patrol units work with horses for crowd control, search and rescue operations, emotional support, and therapy. Officer Erickson explained that officers undergo a month of training covering horse psychology and physiology as well as ongoing monthly sessions. Students also received trading cards featuring facts about Spirit and Torres.
Ruchti said building relationships is an important part of her work: “I am so grateful for the relationships I have built with my girls,” Ruchti said. “Being the school resource officer, I interact with so many students and have a lot of amazing relationships, but my club girls hold a special place in my heart. The extra time we spend together and getting to know each a little better is so special to me.”
She added that it is important for girls to see themselves represented in these roles: “I want all my girls to know that every one of them has their own set of qualities that are important,” Ruchti said. “Ladies in Law Enforcement goes beyond just careers in law enforcement. I try to highlight women in other male-dominated fields as well as simply amazing women who have so much to be proud of in their professional lives.”
The club also hosted Detective Aleesha Kozar from Middleton Police Department; Occupational Therapist Amy Hall from Aspirus Divine Savior Wellness Center; Miggy’s Bakes owner Shelby Olstad; paramedics Julie Boglitsch, Jen Sellek, Sally Clough, Emily Tormey; with plans for a visit with female firefighters next month.
Fifth grader Paisley Jones said her favorite activity was participating in simulated traffic stops led by local police officers.
Ruchti looks forward to growing interest among members: “This is only the second year of the club but I already am planning to connect with specific careers for next school year at the request of the girls,” she said. “Sparking new ideas is so fun. I love their inquisitive minds and being able to expand their knowledge is very rewarding.”
The district supports education from early childhood through high school across facilities emphasizing literacy, math programs, social-emotional learning initiatives according to its official website. It has achieved top ACT composite scores among public non-charter schools both locally within Dane County as well as statewide according to district data.
Dr. Dana Monogue serves as superintendent while overseeing efforts designed both around understanding student backgrounds and preparing them for global challenges according to district information. The district serves communities throughout Middleton and Cross Plains area in Wisconsin as reported by its official site.
