Brad Hanson

Q: “Tell us about yourself, Brad.”
A: "I am a native Vermonter and retired from the U.S. Coast Guard in 2008 after a 20-year career in Law Enforcement and Search and Rescue. As a disabled veteran, I was able to attend Norwich under the VA Vocational Rehab program. Three days after my last class at Norwich I began my new career as a Cold Case Homicide Specialist for the Vermont State Police. I have been married to my wife Larissa for 27 years and we have three adult children, Kaitlyn 24, Jacob 21 and Ben 19. All are currently in college."

Q: “What was your motivation for pursuing your degree?”
A: "After retirement, I had several jobs in the Security field and had applied for a couple law enforcement support job but without a degree, I was simply not competitive enough in the field I wanted to get into. It was at that point I decided that if I wanted another “job the that matters’ I would need to have a degree and with the VA’s assistance, I was able to take that huge step of walking into a college classroom, both online and traditional, for the first time at 47 years old."

Q: “Why did you choose Norwich, how did you learn about it?”
A: "With relevant law enforcement experience already in my back pocket, I know that was the field I wanted to study, being a disabled veteran, I also knew I would be relegated to a support type position like an intelligence analyst. Norwich offered an online program where I could get my bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice with a concentration in intelligence and security management. That offering, coupled with the longstanding military tradition at Norwich made my decision easy. I never even applied to another school."

Q: “What makes Norwich unique?”
A: "To me, Norwich had everything I was looking for: a small school feel, a strong military component and most importantly a high powered and prestigious reputation that comes with the Norwich name."

Q: “Please tell us about any examples where you were able to put your knowledge to work immediately at your job.”
A: "As one of Vermont’s first two Cold Case Homicide Specialists, I have been able to use the education I gained at Norwich literally on my first day of work. Interestingly, at the urging of Allison Crowson, the Criminal Justice Program Manager, I took a Cold Case Investigation class as an elective and it was during the first week of that class that the job I ultimately landed was posted. I actually refer back to my textbook from that class and my class on Forensics every week while working on cold cases.

I wholeheartedly feel that my Norwich education was one of the final deciding factors that led to my “dream job” with the Vermont State Police."

Q: “What aspects of your Norwich experience will you carry most strongly with you?”
A: "The alumni network from Norwich is short reaching yet global at the same time, I even have a couple of Norwich grads in the State Police unit where I work. It's that feeling of kinship and camaraderie with Norwich Alums that I found most impressive."