The verdict is in — and it’s cause for celebration.

Hard work has paid off for Brock’s first-ever Forensic Psychology and Criminal Justice (FPAC) program graduates, who received their bachelor’s degrees during the University’s 117th Convocation.

Professor of Child and Youth Studies Voula Marinos, the program’s inaugural Director from 2021 to 2024, says she could not be prouder of the 21 students who graduated on Wednesday, June 11.

“As someone committed to providing students with a complex and transdisciplinary understanding of mental health, the law and the criminal justice system, it has been a dream come true to co-create this degree program at Brock,” she said. “These students were engaged, enthusiastic to learn and full of accomplishments, and I wish them all the best as they set out on their new journeys.”

FPAC graduate JJ Parks (BA ’25) says it has been an “honour to be a part of Brock’s first cohort of FPAC students that helped shaped this program,” which draws on courses and expertise in Psychology, Political Science, and Child and Youth Studies.

Parks, who juggled her studies with a commitment to the Brock women’s hockey team and a major health scare, was drawn to the program because it combined two of her biggest interests.

JJ Parks (BA ’25) was among the first students to graduate from Brock’s Forensic Psychology and Criminal Justice program, crossing the stage on Wednesday, June 11 during the University’s 117th Convocation.

She says her practicum placement at a law firm in her hometown of Ottawa last summer provided an excellent opportunity for hands-on experience, including a chance to draft her own legal will.

The FPAC experience was also an opportunity to be part of what Program Co-ordinator Samantha MacNeil describes as a cohesive, collaborative group of peers.

“They have stuck together over the course of their four years as the program has continued to develop and evolve, forming strong bonds and friendships, so it’s nice to see that they’ll all graduate together,” said MacNeil, who has worked closely with students as an academic advisor since 2024. “Many of them are continuing to stick together, going to the same grad school or landing jobs at the practicum placements where they worked. It’s a really close, tight-knit group.”

Those next steps include a wide array of opportunities for work, study and research, said Professor Angela Book, who became Program Director in July 2024.

“Seeing the students through the third-year precursors to their capstone projects and then getting them prepared to go into their practica this year was a lot of fun, as we tried to find different placements to match a lot of different interests,” she said. “It highlighted our Inherent transdisciplinarity, with students moving towards careers in law, law enforcement, policy development and social work or clinical psychology.”

In the fall, Parks will enter Brock’s Social Justice and Equity Studies master’s program to explore the systemic and structural issues she began exploring as an undergraduate student.

“FPAC gave me a strong foundation in understanding why individuals might engage in crime, as well as the policies and institutions that respond to it, so I’m really excited to bring my unique, transdisciplinary background into a new academic space and contribute to discussions and research around how to make society more equitable and just for all,” said Parks.