Learn, lead, protect and serve
With a dedication to service, Roland Ivy ’27 sets his sights as high as they can go.
You will find few people with a greater passion for service than sophomore criminal justice studies major Roland Ivy. In fact, his career goal epitomizes that, as he aims to join the Secret Service.
“Protecting the country’s leaders is important to me,” he said. “I’m really a person that likes helping people.”
Even though he is only entering his second year at UD, Ivy has taken every opportunity to prepare for his future and help his community. He was on a subcommittee last year to combat sexual assault and violence against women and will be a co-chair this upcoming year; he interned with the Cleveland Police Department during the summer; and he is the upcoming co-chair for the public safety committee of the Student Government Association.
Ivy aims to complete internships every summer, including one with the Dayton Metropolitan Medical Response to gain skills needed for law enforcement. He even plans to start up a chapter of Students Against Destructive Decisions at UD.
“The organization’s primary goal is to help students make better decisions in life and avoid poor or destructive decisions,” he said.
Ivy’s passion for helping others grew in high school at Villa Angela–St. Joseph High School in Cleveland, where he completed more than 100 service hours. After a high school teacher told him about UD’s Flyer Promise program, he learned that UD’s values are similar to his high school. He applied and is now a Flyer Promise Scholar.
His next goal is to complete 250 service hours this year.
“My biggest hobby in my life is volunteering,” he said. “I think I can really take that far and turn it into a challenge.”
Ivy also aspires to be a leader and took a military science class designed for ROTC students, which improved his understanding of social behavior. He believes in the value of being a leader instead of a follower, he said, especially to fulfill his ambition.
“Taking on leadership positions can take me far in life, and it helped me accomplish my goals,” he said.
Ivy has a strong desire to succeed and said he owes his drive for advocacy to his dad.
“I hope to continue his legacy [of] being an advocate for people [and] helping the community,” he said. “I think he also motivates me a lot to keep being determined for the good things in life.”