She sat in the front seat next to her brother as an officer showed them all the buttons and how to turn on the flashing lights. It was the best distraction he could think of to ease the children’s minds while other officers were inside their Stockton home arresting their father after a domestic dispute with their mother.

Seventeen years later, Serrano has been in a patrol car hundreds of times. Now, she sits behind the wheel, firearm on her hip and badge adorning the shirt of her uniform. She doesn’t wear her emotions on her sleeve — she wears the emblem of the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office.

Many officers say they were attracted to law enforcement by a desire to keep their communities safer, clean up the streets or put criminals away. Deputy Sheriff Serrano was inspired by something more personal — her own childhood.

“The way I see it, when we get a call for service, we’re not getting a call from someone who’s having the best day of their life,” Serrano says. “They’re calling us to solve their problems. For me, it’s not cleaning up the streets, it’s cleaning up someone’s life.”

Now 22 years old, Serrano is one of the youngest solo officers on the beat. She graduated from Fresno State in May 2018 after completing the Criminology 108 program, a University partnership with the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office that provides police training and on-the-job experience while students are pursuing their bachelor’s degrees.

Visit Fresno State Magazine to read more about Serrano and the Criminology 108 program.