An unexpected career path

By Sonya Walker ’20 

Mandy McGill ’06 didn’t always know that she would one day end up working in law enforcement. But as she looks back at her eight years with the Alamance County Sheriff’s Office, it’s now clear to her that her Elon education has helped shape her and her passion for serving her community.

Helping people has always been a calling for McGill and she is able to do that every day in her work. Her dedication has not gone unnoticed. Last year her coworkers nominated her for the Circle K Ranch Cowgirl Up Award, which recognizes community members who consistently give back without expecting anything in return. In November, she learned she had been selected for the honor, a recognition that caught her off guard. “As someone who is never lost for words, I was speechless,” says McGill, now a sergeant with the department.

McGill’s career in law enforcement has not been the only outlet to serve her community. As a single mother of two who worked hard to complete her college degree, she started making an impact in her community right after graduating from Elon in 2006. She served as a community outreach coordinator at Crossroads Sexual Assault and Resource Center in Burlington, helping victims of sexual assault and child sexual abuse.

Eventually the grant funding that supported her position ran out and McGill found herself in search of a new job, which is how she got involved with law enforcement. She now volunteers with the Hospice and Palliative Care Center of Alamance-Caswell and serves as the sheriff’s office Special Olympics coordinator.

Looking back at her time at Elon, McGill fondly remembers building confidence in a public speaking class. The skills she learned then inform much of her daily work. As for the journey that led her to the sheriff’s department, McGill highlights just how important it is to “listen to life and where it is taking you.”

In her experience, paths aren’t always linear and yet, they can lead you to great places.