Law Enforcement Future Leader  

For the Cedarville Stories 100th podcast, the guest is a future police chief, county sheriff, or FBI agent. At least, it’s easy to imagine that being the outcome for junior criminal justice major Will Geist.  

Will is the son of Alan and Lynn Geist. Alan served as Cedarville athletic director until June 30, 2021.  

At one point, Will thought he might enjoy becoming an airline pilot. But in third grade at Shawnee Elementary School in Springfield, he volunteered to guard the gym stage during indoor recess. He discovered that he enjoyed keeping his classmates safe from falling and enforcing the rules established by the teacher. Seems like Will was hardwired by God for this role.  

He came to Cedarville because of its excellent criminal justice program, led by former Cleveland, Ohio, Police Chief, and current Director of the Criminal Justice program Dr. Patrick Oliver. From Dr. Oliver, he learned the keys for being a law enforcement professional — integrity, service orientation, human relations skills, team compatibility, and a drive to perform. In many ways, Will already embodies those qualities as demonstrated through his campus activities and as a student campus security officer. 

Will hopes to become part of the inaugural cohort in the College to Law Enforcement Pathway Program, which Cedarville along with Central State University will be piloting for the next two years.  

For Will, who was adopted from Kazakhstan, his adoption as a child of God is his greatest calling, and he hopes to reflect the Gospel in the way he serves the public.  

“I hope I can show people that the Gospel needs to be at the center of everything we do,” he shared during the podcast. “It needs to be at the center of everything I do. I’m not perfect in that, but it should be, and by God’s grace, I’m learning how to do that. I hope to continue to learn how to live for the Lord.”  

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The College to Law Enforcement Pathway Program endeavors to develop a pool of pre-qualified college-educated law enforcement applicants mentored by leaders in the field.