Members of the Missouri State University chapter of Alpha Phi Sigma, the international criminal justice honor society, made an impressive showing at the annual conference in Chicago, Illinois, March 20-22, 2024.

Three of those students—Joshua Woolfington, Jordan Allen and Sierra Sankey—garnered top prizes in various competitions.

But as executive student officers of the organization, they also coordinated the entire conference under the guidance of their chapter advisor, Ivy Yarckow-Brown.

They were also assisted by provisionary members Taigen Mitchell and Madison Korp, who attended the conference to learn more about future leadership opportunities within the organization.

Currently, Woolfington is president, Allen is secretary and Sankey is treasurer of Alpha Phi Sigma.

MSU nabs top prizes

Woolfington, who graduates this May with a master’s in criminology and criminal justice, earned first place in the Graduate Knowledge test. He was awarded a $750 cash prize for his efforts.

Woolfington has a conditional offer with the Lincoln, Nebraska, police department after graduation. He is especially interested in working in investigations and hopes someday to be a chief of police or possibly work within a federal agency.

Meanwhile Allen, a junior double major in criminology and criminal justice and psychology, won first place in the Undergraduate Knowledge test. She also won a cash prize of $750.

Woolfington won the same prize in 2023.

Both Woolfington and Allen said they relied on the knowledge they have acquired through their program at Missouri State to prepare for the exam competitions.

“For the Knowledge Test, everything I learned during my undergraduate career at Missouri State, combined with what I have learned while doing my master’s, prepared me for it,” Woolfington said.

For her preparation, Allen said she was already studying for four different exams that she would have to take once she returned to Springfield.

“I also looked through a couple of my old notebooks to refresh my memory on past course material,” she said.

“I had heard that this test was difficult, and I admit that it was difficult,” Allen continued. “In the end, I was really happy to see all my hard work in academics pay off.”

Allen, who will graduate in 2025, plans to attend graduate school, then work in correctional counseling to help individuals transition out of incarceration. [Read more…] about Criminal justice students win big at annual conference