Learning the ropes

On Friday, March 15, 8th graders from Encampment, Saratoga, and Hanna-Elk Mountain-Medicine Bow schools took a field trip for 8th Grade Business Career Day. The students had the opportunity to visit different businesses in the Platte Valley.

8th Grade Business Career Day first started in 2016 by former Saratoga/ Platte Valley Chamber of Commerce CEO Stacey Crimmins and has continued each year except during the 2020 COVID-19 Pandemic.

Amanda Knotwell, Cimmins’ successor as Saratoga/ Platte Valley Chamber of Commerce CEO, said that this year’s 8th Grade Business Career day has been an overall great experience with 56 students registered from Carbon County School District 2.

“We had 16 different businesses that were willing to have the kids stop by and talk about what they do in terms of their day-to-day operations,” Knotwell said. “We divided the kids in groups of four and they went to four or more businesses”.

Carbon County Sheriff Alex Bakken attended the 8th grade Business Career Day as a special guest speaker at the Platte Valley Community Center. Bakken said he was impressed with the great questions the students asked him and loved the fact they had deep interest in his journey in becoming a law enforcement officer. He said it was amazing to speak with the kids and to share his passion in the field of law enforcement.

“I think speaking with the kids is awesome,” Bakken said. “I am so glad that I was invited to talk about my career in law enforcement as a corrections officer, sheriff’s deputy all the way to becoming sheriff of Carbon County. I told the kids I was in their shoes when I was in 8th grade and I did not know what I wanted to do for a career and I did not expect them to either. They asked such good questions about getting into law enforcement.”

Bakken had a lot of fun spending time with the 8th graders and loved the questions they asked him. He hopes that some day one of those students could be the future of law enforcement if they choose to take that career path.

“I love that they had questions that truly surprised me because they are thinking of these issues on such a deeper level than one would expect,” Bakken said. “It was really refreshing for me to see some of these kids are really contemplating some pretty heavy issues including mental health and incarceration and it was neat to hear.”

Bakken said taking part in education is important to him and members of law enforcement because it helps kids understand they (law enforcement) are there for them. He said being a part of students’ lives is the most rewarding part of his job.

“Having law enforcement present in education with that age group is a big priority for me,” Bakken said. “That is why we introduced our school resource officer program. All I hear is good things from teachers, administrators and the people who make that happen. I could not ask for more.”

Bakken said he loves the great relationship he has with students and the entire county has been a great support to the Carbon County Sheriff’s office. Bakken is a father of two with one kid who has graduated from high school and a second kid in Carbon County School District No. 1.