July 24, 2026
Ferris State volleyball’s Emma Bleecher balances graduate school, coaching and new law enforcement career
Emma Bleecher took the oath this summer as a marine deputy with the Mecosta County Sheriff's Office, adding to an already full plate of graduate school and coaching duties at Ferris State University.
Bleecher graduated from Ferris State in December with a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice and immediately began pursuing a master's degree while staying on with the volleyball program as a graduate assistant under head coach Tia Brandel-Wilhelm.
Ferris State's Criminal Justice program has built a national reputation in the field, due in part to required internship placements like the one that connected Bleecher to MCSO last summer and set up her new marine assignment.
"Coming back this summer as a marine deputy felt like I had gone away on a trip and then returned to my extended family," Bleecher said of the division that patrols the county's waterways.
Bleecher credits Sheriff Brian Miller's leadership for that culture.
"Brian has always described MCSO as being a family, and I have always agreed with that," she said.
Last summer's internship — completed alongside fellow Ferris State student-athlete and soccer standout Bella Vallone — built the foundation for that transition. Deputies let Bleecher ride along, assist on calls and learn MCSO's systems firsthand.
"That experience alone allowed me to jump right into marine," Bleecher said. "I already knew many of the procedures I needed to follow, and knowing most of the people I'd be working with gave me a lot of leverage."
Ferris State's Criminal Justice program offers three specialized tracks — Law Enforcement, Corrections and Generalist — within a single bachelor's degree, along with a Master of
Science in Criminal Justice Administration for graduates moving into leadership roles in courts, corrections and law enforcement agencies.
Students on the Law Enforcement track complete police academy training during their senior year, graduating eligible to sit for Michigan's law enforcement certification exam. Nationally, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 3% growth in police and detective jobs through 2034, with a median annual wage of $77,270.
A native of Champaign, Illinois, Bleecher wrapped up her volleyball career with 754 kills, 1,134 digs and 99 total blocks over four seasons, including 266 kills and 352 digs as a senior.
Ferris State won three Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) regular-season titles, three conference tournament championships and back-to-back NCAA Division II Midwest Regional titles in 2024 and 2025 during her time on the roster.
She's also helping run the volleyball program's summer camps while she settles into the marine unit.
"Being on the water is a lot different than being on the road," Bleecher said. "I had to learn a lot of different things, but I felt prepared to step into the boat and interact with people based on my observations from last summer. We have an awesome crew this summer, so it's really been great so far. It feels good knowing that I get to go out on the water and help educate people to be safer on the water."
Bleecher also teaches Boater Safety classes for the community.
"I have also gotten to help teach a Boater Safety class, and we'll have another one coming up in July that I'll assist with again," she said. "Meeting new people in the community is great, so now I just get to do it on the water."