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In Her Own Words: Emilie Cieslak
9/12/2019 1:35:00 PM | Softball
Infielder Emilie Cieslak spent her summer jumping into an atmosphere that she frequently grew up watching. Read how Cieslak recounted her summer in the Major Crimes Unit at the Bergen County Prosecuter's Office in her own words.
This summer has been one of growth. Once softball season ended, I went home to New Jersey where I spent some time down the shore, catching up with family and friends, and enjoying a lot of Italian food. A few weeks later, I began my internship at the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office. It was by far one the best experiences of my life.
Since I was young, I have loved shows like Criminal Minds and Law & Order: SVU. But I always thought these shows were dramatized and not reality. At the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office, I quickly realized that the stuff on TV is real! The only difference is the detectives do not solve the case within an hour.
I was assigned to the Major Crimes Unit, which includes homicide, fatal accident, arson and cold case. The Special Victims Unit's room was under construction and therefore shared a room with Major Crimes. With that being said, I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to help out both units however I could. Some days that meant making copies and other days it meant editing the transcripts of interrogations, logging evidence, or making evidence binders for upcoming trials. Every other morning, we received a lecture from attorneys and detectives in their departments including narcotics, domestic violence, grand jury trial, and intel. Other days, we went on trips to the Police Academy and the 9/11 memorial. Further, we were encouraged to go the courthouse in our free time. I also had the opportunity to attend training sessions for police officers in the case of an active shooter, as part of the Bergen County Safe Schools Task Force. No matter what it was, I was trying to soak in all of the information I could.
I want to thank everyone in the Major Crimes Unit and Special Victims Unit for being so kind and helpful to me throughout the summer. I also want to thank you them for inspiring me. Each person in that office passionately and diligently works every single day to make the community I grew up in a better and safer one.
Being with both the detectives and assistant prosecutors every day, reminded me of the team camaraderie I have with my teammates at Duke. They mess with each other and joke around a lot, but they all bust their butts every day for something bigger than themselves. No one is too proud to ask for help and they all love and trust each other to get the job done. Granted, the stakes are higher when dealing with justice, but it was an environment that was familiar to me, thanks to my teammates and coaches on the Duke Softball team.
I also continued writing for the Borgen Project this summer. The Borgen Project is a national campaign that is working to make poverty a focus of US foreign policy. Doing research and writing on current events has made me realize how little is being done to help people. On the other side of that, the Borgen Project has shown me how much is being done, and how willing some are to help those in need.
Both of my experiences at the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office and the Borgen Project were eye-opening. They have encouraged me to get out of the bubble that I have always been so comfortable in and appreciate how lucky I am to have been surrounded by such amazing people my whole life.
Aside from working, I spent most of my time catching up with old friends, spending time with my family, and playing with my puppy Thor. Overall this was an amazing summer, where I gained a new outlook on life and those around me. As I head back to Durham one last time, I am excited to see my Duke softball family and see what senior year has in store.
This summer has been one of growth. Once softball season ended, I went home to New Jersey where I spent some time down the shore, catching up with family and friends, and enjoying a lot of Italian food. A few weeks later, I began my internship at the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office. It was by far one the best experiences of my life.
Since I was young, I have loved shows like Criminal Minds and Law & Order: SVU. But I always thought these shows were dramatized and not reality. At the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office, I quickly realized that the stuff on TV is real! The only difference is the detectives do not solve the case within an hour.
I was assigned to the Major Crimes Unit, which includes homicide, fatal accident, arson and cold case. The Special Victims Unit's room was under construction and therefore shared a room with Major Crimes. With that being said, I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to help out both units however I could. Some days that meant making copies and other days it meant editing the transcripts of interrogations, logging evidence, or making evidence binders for upcoming trials. Every other morning, we received a lecture from attorneys and detectives in their departments including narcotics, domestic violence, grand jury trial, and intel. Other days, we went on trips to the Police Academy and the 9/11 memorial. Further, we were encouraged to go the courthouse in our free time. I also had the opportunity to attend training sessions for police officers in the case of an active shooter, as part of the Bergen County Safe Schools Task Force. No matter what it was, I was trying to soak in all of the information I could.
I want to thank everyone in the Major Crimes Unit and Special Victims Unit for being so kind and helpful to me throughout the summer. I also want to thank you them for inspiring me. Each person in that office passionately and diligently works every single day to make the community I grew up in a better and safer one.
Being with both the detectives and assistant prosecutors every day, reminded me of the team camaraderie I have with my teammates at Duke. They mess with each other and joke around a lot, but they all bust their butts every day for something bigger than themselves. No one is too proud to ask for help and they all love and trust each other to get the job done. Granted, the stakes are higher when dealing with justice, but it was an environment that was familiar to me, thanks to my teammates and coaches on the Duke Softball team.
I also continued writing for the Borgen Project this summer. The Borgen Project is a national campaign that is working to make poverty a focus of US foreign policy. Doing research and writing on current events has made me realize how little is being done to help people. On the other side of that, the Borgen Project has shown me how much is being done, and how willing some are to help those in need.
Both of my experiences at the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office and the Borgen Project were eye-opening. They have encouraged me to get out of the bubble that I have always been so comfortable in and appreciate how lucky I am to have been surrounded by such amazing people my whole life.
Aside from working, I spent most of my time catching up with old friends, spending time with my family, and playing with my puppy Thor. Overall this was an amazing summer, where I gained a new outlook on life and those around me. As I head back to Durham one last time, I am excited to see my Duke softball family and see what senior year has in store.
Players Mentioned
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