Each year, the Association of Private Sector Colleges and Universities (APSCU) selects a handful of graduates to receive the prestigious Graduate Recognition for Excellence, Achievement & Talent (GREAT) Award. The GREAT Awards are given out to career-college graduates nationwide who have persevered through adversity and exemplify the transformative power of career-focused education.
This year, Westwood College – Anaheim campus graduate Guillermo De La Riva was one of just five graduates selected from more than 180 nominations for the 2014 awards. As part of the award, De La Riva traveled to Washington, DC during APSCU’s Hill Day (March 3-5), where he was honored at an awards luncheon.
An army veteran who served in Afghanistan and later worked for the Los Angeles Police Department, De La Riva attended Westwood College to earn a bachelor’s degree with the goal of advancing within the LAPD. He hoped to earn a transfer to the gang unit of the LAPD in order to serve the same gang-affected community where he grew up.
De La Riva Advances Within LAPD During His Time at Westwood
Under the mentorship of Westwood College criminal justice program chair Alfonso Valdez, Ph.D., a nationally recognized expert and author on gangs, De La Riva successfully earned the transfer, becoming a South Central LA gang unit officer. As an extension of his duties, he became a well-respected court-certified gang expert, testifying on complex gang investigations.
De La Riva worked full time while attending Westwood. Dr. Valdez commented, “He would get off work sometimes at 5 a.m. and attend class without any sleep. But he made his school work a priority nonetheless. That, to me, shows a lot of perseverance and says a lot about him as a person. He genuinely cares for people and wants to help the public ‒ and he’s not afraid to put his life on the line.”
De La Riva completed his bachelor’s degree from Westwood in the fall of 2012.
In June 2013, he was shot and severely injured while on duty with the LAPD. He has undergone several surgeries, and, despite lingering problems with pain, he continues to visit with criminal justice students on the Westwood campus and to work at the LAPD.
Dr. Valdez says of De La Riva, “He remains passionate about making a difference in the community. He truly is a hero.”