Viterbo student Natalie Martin isn’t sure of her exact future criminal justice system career, but there is no doubt which side she’ll be on.

“It will definitely be in law enforcement or prosecution rather than criminal defense,” said Martin, a junior from Spooner.

A psychology and criminal and community justice double major, Martin’s career options are many—and her goals both ambitious and admirable. She would like to work for the FBI or Homeland Security in criminal profiling or forensic psychology, or her love of the courtroom might lead her to law school.

“I want to do something where I’m helping more than just an individual person,” Martin said. “I always saw myself doing something even bigger.”

Martin’s favorite classes so far as been Personality Psychology and Psychopharmacology, both of which will be very useful in law enforcement and criminal justice. An internship in the Douglas County public defender’s office this past summer was a “great learning experience” and confirmed her choice of career field.

“I got to work with some great attorneys and investigators,” Martin said. “It was good to see and work on both sides of the legal system to know what I really wanted to do.”

Martin chose to attend Viterbo for the opportunity to play collegiate softball, the small campus, and the numerous support systems in place for students.

Martin has excelled in the classroom during her time at Viterbo, being named to the Viterbo University Dean’s List, an NAIA Scholar Athlete, and a member of the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference All-Academic Team.

“Natalie has taken five different courses with me and has performed exceptionally well in all of them,” said Viterbo psychology professor Dr. Michael Parker. “She is motivated, studious, and clearly cares about learning. Regardless of the class content or format, she has a positive effect on the learning environment through asking good questions, participating in group discussions, or acting as a leader for group projects. She is also quite generous with her time and has served as a tutor for multiple psychology courses. All of us in the psychology department are excited to see what she achieves in her career.”

Martin certainly has no regrets about enrolling at Viterbo University.

“My experience at Viterbo has been so good, and everyone so supportive, that I would make the decision to attend again 100 out of 100 times,” she said. “I’m really excited about the great opportunities I’ve had and the professional connections I’ve made with people in my field. Academically, I’ve been pushed and challenged. I’m ready to take on graduate school and my career.”

Explore the Criminal and Community Justice Program

Discover how Viterbo’s criminal and community justice program prepares you to make a meaningful impact through careers in law enforcement, corrections, victim advocacy, and more—all grounded in ethics, service, and social responsibility.

Explore the Psychology Program

Viterbo’s psychology program helps you understand human behavior while building strong research, communication, and critical-thinking skills. With hands-on learning and internship or research experience built in, students graduate ready for careers or graduate study in counseling and related fields.