As a sworn police officer with the Elgin Community College Police Department, Lorie Hermesdorf monitors campus halls, endeavors to ensure safety and offers words of encouragement to students.

Hermesdorf has been with the ECC police department since August of 2008 and previously worked as an officer at College of Dupage. Through years of training and experience, Hermesdorf has accumulated many certifications including first aid CPR instructor, and Rape Aggression Defense instructor trainer.

On top of all of the work she has done to achieve and maintain her certifications, Hermesdorf graduated from ECC with an Associate’s in Science in December of last year and is currently working to earn her Bachelor’s degree for Digital Forensics.

“I’m already taking courses at Champlain College. Their digital forensics program is number two in the nation,” Hermesdorf said.

After running away from home at the age of 15, Hermesdorf had only completed eighth grade and decided to earn her GED when she was 18 years old.

“The first class they had me go to was reading and I’m sitting there and there were people still sounding out their words, and so I went to the administrator and I said ‘Please, let me take the test. If I fail it, I promise, I will come here and sit through this [the class],” said Hermesdorf. “So I took the test and they gave [me] four hours, I completed it in an hour and a half”.

After taking the test, Hermesdorf received a college entry score, earned a certificate in respiratory therapy in 1987 and started working in the pediatric intensive care unit at Loyola University Medical Center. After working in the pediatric ICU and seeing abused children, Hermesdorf decided she wanted to make a bigger difference.

“I was almost eight years in the medical field and decided to become a police officer,” said Hermesdorf.

Hermesdorf first worked with the Downer’s Grove Police Department. After four months she left Downer’s Grove and went to work at the College of Dupage Police Department while also working part-time at the Kane County Forest Preserve.

“While I was working there [COD] I took the courses to receive my Associate in applied science for criminal justice,” Hermesdorf said. Hermesdorf received her AAS in Criminal Justice with Honors in 1997.

When she started taking courses at ECC, fifteen years after she started her Associates degree, she decided she wanted to go for her Bachelor’s degree in Digital Forensics.

“I am supposed to have my Bachelor’s degree in it, it is digital forensics, Bachelor’s of Science, in May of 2018. That’s my target,” Hermesdorf said.

Before coming to work at ECC, Hermesdorf was employed with the Kane County Forest Preserve, where she patrolled, investigated, responded to calls, and helped with many other duties throughout the county. ECC Chief of Police, Emad Eassa, worked with the Kane County Forest Preserve as well, and encouraged Hermesdorf to join the ECC Police Department.

“I met her [Hermesdorf] in the forest preserve district and she was one of the four people that I brought here,” Eassa said. “I was really pleased with her work, and I knew she would be a great fit to our team.”

Hermesdorf is a Phi Theta Kappa Alumni, and is planning to achieve a Master’s degree in Digital Forensics.

Hermesdorf thanks the President of ECC David Sam, Chief Emad Eassa, Deputy Chief Tami Haukedahl, officer Dave Jannusch and the many other ECC faculty members for inspiring and mentoring her throughout her career and education.

“Believe in yourself, don’t give up, tomorrow is another day. Maybe one day it seems dark and impossible to climb that mountain but you can, and it’s just a little bit every day,” Hermesdorf said.