PETERSBURG, Va. -- She was born and raised in Petersburg and just yesterday, she headed to the Crater Criminal Justice Training Academy to become a Petersburg Police Officer.
She grew up in a home that gave her a front seat to police cars, fire trucks and ambulances driving past daily with lights and sirens. However, it was the blue lights that intrigued her to choose a career in law enforcement from an early age.
“My name is Takaylia Mason."
For Mason, her earliest home was divided into four apartments, a memory she holds dear to her heart.
“My mama lived in one and then my grandmother lived in the other, so it was the best of both worlds," Mason said.
Among those fond memories from growing up, she remembers how she saw those fighting for her community on the streets outside her home.
“It made me feel like they were superheroes like they were out here changing things and getting the bad people off the streets," Mason said.
She said that she remembered it being a world filled with excitement.
“This was a very busy street, you would see all the chases, for sure. You’d catch some action on some streets over, you would hear gunshots," Mason said. “The bad things molded me to figure out what I wanted to do in my life".
These childhood memories would help to determine what decisions would be made for her future
“It helped me decide what I wanted to do with my life when I did continue my education in college," Mason said.
Fresh with a degree in Criminal Justice from Chowan University, Takaylia Masons’ dream of becoming a Petersburg Police Officer is finally a reality.
“I start the Academy July 12th," Mason said.
Takaylia truly believes being born and raised in Petersburg will make her a better Petersburg Police Officer.
“I know this place, this place is my home. It’s all I know, so when it's time to deal with the citizens here or reaching out to the youth, I feel like I have some type of advantage because some of the people on the streets, I know those individuals, some of those youth, I’ve seen them before," Mason said.
However, her goal is to be more than just a police officer.
“I want to make a change; however, I have to be the change everyone speaks upon," Mason said.
Takaylia's chance to be the change will come six months from now when she graduates from the academy and hits the streets of Petersburg.
