Name the thing that excites you. What makes you feel more alive every time you learn about it, talk about it, or experience it? That’s your passion. Shelby Ballard knew her passion for true crime went deep, but figuring out how to connect it to her professional life was a mystery.
How Shelby turned her passion for true crime
into a serious career
Name the thing that excites you. What makes you feel more alive every time you learn about it, talk about it, or experience it? That’s your passion.
Chances are your passion has been with you for years, and it’s not going anywhere soon. The question is, how do you make it part of your work?
Shelby Ballard has always been fascinated by true crime. “At a young age I could sit and binge watch shows like Forensic Files, Unsolved Mysteries…Now I’m into shows like Deadly Women and Who the (Bleep) Did I Marry?”
It’s not particularly unique to enjoy true crime television, but Shelby knew her interest went deeper. “For me, it has always been about the essence of real crimes and not something from a made-up TV show. I find myself longing to follow crimes through and figure out the root cause of what made the individual commit the crime they committed.”
Shelby grew up in Columbus, Georgia. She was sensible in her career choices. She graduated high school and enrolled at a nearby college to study forensic science. She got a job in retail. Another job in retail. A job in customer service followed. And then another. She was growing and achieving professionally, but as her responsibilities grew her classes became more and more of a burden.
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Pretty soon, pursuing her passion looked more like a pipe dream and less like a reality. Her life had changed, and her college program was no longer working for her.
No passion is strong enough to overcome an inconvenient, wrong-fit program.
So, Shelby made a bold choice. “I left [my previous school] due to a ton of factors…and in the midst of making that transition discovered a love of cybersecurity and justice.” She enrolled in UAB’s online Bachelor’s in Criminal Justice.
It suited her passions and it suited her life:
Shelby discovered that the quality of the instruction was just what she was looking for. “The instructors have real experience in the field and they use their insight when teaching. They want to see you succeed not only in college but for the long term as well.”
Just a few classes in, Shelby found an instructor who had real-world experience and shared her passion. A UAB Criminal Justice alumnus himself, Instructor James Sparks is a probation officer for Jefferson County. As an adjunct instructor, he teaches courses such as Serial Killers and Serial Killers in International Contexts.
Sparks conducted several interviews with serial killers as he wrote his 2021 book entitled “Case Studies of Murder: The Enigma of the American Serial Killer.” Shelby found herself particularly impressed by Sparks’ knowledge of John Wayne Gacy. “Professor Sparks spent time talking to Gacy and was able to see something was really wrong with him—it wasn’t an act,” she said. “This is what I feel originally drew me to this field.”
While earning her degree, Shelby moved to Birmingham, started her career in academic cybersecurity, met the man who’d become her husband, and became a dog mom. Her classes reignited her passion, and the connection between it and her professional life was growing clearer and clearer.
She was promoted to Implementation Manager with Meazure Learning, one of the most recognized remote proctoring companies in the world. There she found the intersection of her professional work and her passion for justice. Shelby said Meazure is “based on integrity and data forensics and cybersecurity.” In her role, she works tirelessly to “find ways to eliminate threats to academic integrity.”
This Fall, Shelby Ballard will complete her B.S. in Criminal Justice. She did it all while working full-time, at her pace and on her terms.
I have work and a ton of church responsibilities, being choir director and social media director, so being able to do my classes online at my own pace really helps me.
What about you?
If you’ve attempted to pursue your passions but you’ve gotten stuck along the way, consider whether pursuing them with UAB might be the right answer for you. Shelby wouldn’t give up her pursuit to “feel the power that comes from focusing on what most excites [her].” She chose to attend UAB online, and it made all the difference.
You can earn your Bachelor’s in Criminal Justice from UAB 100% online. Take the next step and share your contact information with us so we can help you plan for success.