The Okaloosa County School District celebrates Baker High School’s Criminal Justice program for their outstanding performance at the Florida Public Safety Association Student Leadership Competition, held April 8–12 in Kissimmee, Florida. This year’s event, themed “Empowering Student Success with Opportunities and Integrity!”, hosted more than 300 students from programs across the state, including established academies. Baker students demonstrated exceptional professionalism, skill, and determination, making an impressive debut on the state stage.
Students competed in many events, such as Traffic Stop, Evidence Packaging, Obstacle Course, Latent Fingerprint Comparison, Extemporaneous Speaking, Digital Poster, Pamphlet, Trifold Display, Prepared Speaking, Public Information Officer, Forensic Investigations, Use of Force, and Physical Assessment. Sophomore Morgan Robinson earned 2nd place in Incident Report Writing, demonstrating strong attention to detail and documentation skills. Senior Sabrina Shultz earned 4th in Evidence Packaging and Latent Lift, showing precision and technical skill. Robinson, Junior Lyla Philpott, and Shultz took 3rd in Room Clearing for communication, coordination, and tactical execution. Senior Zoey Garrett was recognized as a valuable team member for her dedication and hard work.
“These accomplishments are a powerful reflection of our students’ dedication, passion, and perseverance, as well as the incredible strength of our career and technical education programs,” said Superintendent Marcus Chambers. “It is truly inspiring to see young leaders who are answering the call to serve in public safety. Their commitment speaks to their character and compassion, and we are excited to see the positive difference they will make in our communities for years to come.”
“We are incredibly proud of our students for representing Baker High School at the state level,” said Principal Mike Martello. “For many, this was their first competition at this level, and they rose to the challenge with confidence and teamwork. Their dedication and the strength of our Criminal Justice program made this success possible.”
“Their success is no accident; it is the direct result of unwavering commitment, discipline, and countless hours of training,” said Mrs. Demeika “Mac” McClendon, Criminal Justice Instructor at Baker School. “Seeing these students perform on such a big stage is incredibly rewarding. Moments like this are exactly why I teach. We are proud to be the first Criminal Justice team in Okaloosa County to compete at both the regional and state level, and we will be back in full force.”
The Okaloosa County School District congratulates these students and Ms. McClendon for representing Baker High School with excellence and looks forward to their continued success.