Christin Oesterling at one point was unsure of her career path, then in college studied criminal justice because she did not like “the bad guys.” During that course of study her future was set, and she was motivated to become a police officer.

A criminal justice professor introduced her to the concept of “sheep, sheepdogs, and wolves" as expressed by Lt. Col. Dave Grossman U.S. Army Retired. That was the pivotal point.

“In that moment I knew I was called to be a police officer and that scared me. I know that God guided me to this job,” she explained. “Law enforcement is, for me, to show up in the chaos, be present with my victims, support my coworkers, and again I still love catching the "bad guys."

She now is a Special Victims Unit detective with the Arlington County Police Department, in Arlington, Virginia, and has been a sworn officer since November of 2015.

Her role as an officer has made her face many challenges, such as maintaining a positive attitude toward life. She points out how at first she was not prepared for all she would see and the uncertainty of which call for service would be the one that sticks with her forever, or the one that comes back when sleeping.

“I also did not know how much my personality would shift as I grew tougher and more cold from repeatedly having to be tough when internally I wanted to cry,” Oesterling says. “The hardest part of the job has been holding onto my faith, peace, and joy, it has also been the most rewarding in that it has opened my eyes to the world of hurt that everyone has.”

Oesterling has enjoyed assignments ranging from midnight patrol officer, serving on the Community Outreach Team, dusting for prints and taking photos, and finally in the Special Victims Unit, the role she says has been the most rewarding. She also loves working on the Crisis Negotiation Team.

Her career goals focus on things she wants to do at her department, including one day launching programs to combat human trafficking in her area.