On September 9, when the recruits of Fitchburg State University’s 9th Recruit Officer Course (ROC) march across the stage at Weston Auditorium and graduate from the Police Academy, 22-year-old Collin Dudek ‘26 will realize a dream he has carried for as long as he can remember.
For Dudek, earning his badge isn't just the conclusion of a college career; it marks the final hurdle of an intensive, five-year journey at Fitchburg State designed to mold standard students into highly-prepared and highly-educated police officers.
"It’s going to mean everything to me to get that pin," said Dudek. "My dream since I was a little kid was to be a police officer and to serve a community. The last hurdle I have is the academy."
Dudek and his 9th ROC student officers are in the final stretch of Fitchburg State’s trailblazing, one-of-a-kind program model. Over five years, students earn both a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice – which Dudek completed in May – and a master's degree, while simultaneously completing an intensive 17-week Municipal Police Training Committee (MPTC) authorized police academy. Upon graduation on Sept. 9, recruits step straight into municipal departments in Massachusetts and neighboring states fully certified. All the members of the 9th ROC already have police jobs waiting for them.
It is a demanding pipeline, but for the headstrong Fitchburg native, there was never any doubt he would cross the finish line.
"My whole dream throughout my life was to be a police officer,” said Dudek.
Long before stepping into the academy, Dudek was a standout multi-sport athlete at Fitchburg High School. A hard-hitting middle linebacker and fullback on the gridiron, he also dominated on the attack line for the Lunenburg High (a co-op program with Fitchburg High) lacrosse team, setting single-season school records for most points and goals per game.
Though his athletic success opened doors to play sports at the collegiate level, Dudek turned them down without a second thought.
"I was real good in high school playing sports and could have gone to college to play at a high-level, but I only applied to Fitchburg State to be in the police program," said Dudek. "I was very headstrong that I wanted to be a police officer."
While his athletic background gave him physical endurance and mental toughness, the academy taught him a different kind of discipline.
The drill instructors are demanding, but in service of building up the officers.
“Everything they do is to improve us,” said Dudek.
That relentless focus was fueled by a deep desire to serve – a value woven into his family history. While Dudek is the first in his immediate family to put on a police uniform, his heritage carries a legacy of public service. His paternal grandmother’s father served as a police chief in South Korea, and his grandfather was a decorated Vietnam War veteran who earned two Bronze Stars.
"Talking to (his grandfather) before he passed was a lot about the military," said Dudek. "I knew I wanted to serve my community, but the military wasn’t for me. I thought the best way to do that was being a police officer. I wanted to be a small change in the stigma about police officers. That was a huge motivator for me."
While Dudek holds deep love for his hometown of Fitchburg – describing it fondly as a "rough-tough town" where he spent his high school years heavily involved in the Best Buddies program – his ambition pushed him to broaden his horizons beyond the community that raised him.
"My 'why' is going out there and serving my community," said Dudek. "Further than that, I want to serve a community that I don’t even know and start my own page in life and not stay in my hometown my entire life. So that’s why I chose Framingham. It’s a similar demographic as Fitchburg, and a little bit busier as a department. There’s a lot of room for growth there. I want to start my own path in life."
To prove his dedication to the Framingham Police Department, Dudek embraced the grit required to get noticed. During his final semester of college, he secured an internship with the department, driving an hour and a half each way every Tuesday and Thursday to assist in filing paperwork in the records department from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
"I had to put my time in and show them that I’m dedicated," said Dudek.
If you want to be a police officer, I have no idea why you wouldn’t want to be in the police program here. There’s no other program in the state – maybe even the nation – where you go to college, get your undergrad, and then you automatically get placed into an academy. Police departments love the recruits from our academy because we are the most educated. For four years we’ve lived and breathed policing in our education.
The investment paid off. Following his formal job interview with the department, Framingham offered Dudek a full-time officer position on the spot.
"That was a huge relief for me,” said Dudek, who thanked the Framingham Police Department, especially Chief Lester Baker and Lieutenant Christopher Eliadi, for the opportunity and support before and during the academy. “I was ecstatic. I was super proud of myself."
As graduation approaches, Dudek points to the unique structure of the Fitchburg State criminal justice pipeline as the foundation of his confidence. Under the guidance of Academy Director Ola Wysocki and a strong core of veteran police instructors, recruits received hands-on training that bridged the gap between academic theory and real-world street policing.
"She has been awesome," said Dudek of Wysocki. "She’s been a great resource, and she knows exactly what it takes to become a police officer. All the instructors are incredibly open to discussions and questions. Dialogue and questions are always invited."
Wysocki said that Dudek’s attitude and demeanor have always been positive, which is fantastic in law enforcement.
“But what has stood out through the last few months is his ability to promote his classmates and bring their successes, whether big or small, to the attention of staff,” said Wysocki. “He is a genuine team player.”
Wysocki also praised Dudek for using all his resources on campus to help secure his first policing job in Framingham.
“It's exciting to watch seniors in the police program determine what department they are interested in, and even more exciting when they get job offers,” said Wysocki. “I think the process Collin went through to get a job offer speaks to his work ethic and problem-solving mindset. He was able to see where he wanted to go, and established an action plan to make it a reality. He used his resources here on campus through Professor (Eileen) Kirk, the CJ Internship Coordinator, Career Services and staff instructors for the police program doing mock interviews.”
Beyond tactics and physical conditioning, the academy emphasized the crucial human skills required of the modern officer.
"The best lessons that I’ve learned is that de-escalation is absolutely key to this job and being able to talk to people," said Dudek. "And being human. That’s been stressed to us in everything – be human and be professional."
It is that comprehensive curriculum that leaves Dudek vocal about the value of the Fitchburg State model for aspiring officers.
"If you want to be a police officer, I have no idea why you wouldn’t want to be in the police program here," said Dudek. "There’s no other program in the state – maybe even the nation – where you go to college, get your undergrad, and then you automatically get placed into an academy. Police departments love the recruits from our academy because we are the most educated. For four years we’ve lived and breathed policing in our education."
When graduation day arrives, Dudek’s fiancée, Alexa – who alongside his family has provided constant support throughout the journey – will pin his badge to his chest. For Dudek, it won't be the end of the work, but the true beginning.
"I can’t wait to graduate and prove my worth, and prove to my family that this is what I want to do," said Dudek. "When I get to Framingham, I’m going to be a workaholic. I’m not going to stop, and I want to keep learning. Patrol is the backbone of a police department, and I can't wait to start my own chapter."