Maj. Consuelo Benavides

"It's not a job...it's a calling."

Class of 2018

Major Consuelo Benavides is a senior Justice Administration major from Beeville, TX. She is currently taking online classes and working at the Beeville correctional facility training new cadets and hopes to become a TDCJ director and influence legislation and policy.

On Discovering Wayland…

“I started at TDCJ in 1998 as a correctional officer in Beeville. When I started my career, they began putting an emphasis on education. English is my second language, (raised by Spanish speakers) but I started at a community college. They worked with me and encouraged us to go to school so we can impact future generations in the agency.
It wasn’t until I heard about Wayland and made some contacts with the advisors that they really took me in and explained to me what I could do and they even came down to see me. This was before the (Law Enforcement) scholarship program really started. They talked to our cadets about starting the program. I wanted to take classes but kept putting it off, but their continued contact and interest in me made me finally take that step.”

On Quality Education…

“Little by little it opened my eyes. I started with one class, then two, then three… now I am hooked. It felt like the [online] educational level was just as strong as a face-to-face. This experience has been overwhelming as I’ve grown and developed over the past few years.  It has transformed my mindset about online classes. Keeping a 3.49 GPA, three kids at home (10, 13 and 17) and that’s a handful.”

On Being a Non-Traditional Student…

“It’s intimidating to me because I was going back to school as an adult, and while I had people in my corner, I wasn’t sure about online classes. But they work with our schedule, keep in touch with us and encourage us. I didn’t know that existed.  I get to actually talk to my instructors on the phone instead of just emailing all the time.”

On Christian Education…

“We have started reading the Bible together for my class and they do that with me now. The way Wayland incorporates faith into the classes is great. I was looking at everything they stand for, support statements and such, they always use the analogy of the light and the fire, and these classes have really enriched me. It’s one thing to do good and learn, but it’s another thing to have real growth.”