60 students spend the day in police shoes

CORRECTION: The headline in Friday’s story regarding Mentor Day should have read “Two students spend the day in police shoes.”

Peering through the small square window into Newport Beach jail at the drunk man awaking from his nap behind bars, 16-year-old Sarah Crosby thought, “I never want to go there.”

“It was kind of eerie,” the Orange Coast Middle College High School student said of the jail. While the jail may have been the creepiest part of her trip to Newport Beach Police Department on Thursday morning, it certainly wasn’t the only interesting part of her day with police.

Crosby joined Sabrina Bedrosian, 17, also from Middle College High School, in shadowing Det. Kristen O’Donnell during the Newport Beach Chamber of Commerce’s annual Mentor for a Day event.

Sixty students from Corona del Mar, Newport Harbor and Back Bay/Monte Vista high schools are chosen to shadow Newport Beach professionals in their various fields for a few hours to learn about what it takes to accomplish their dreams and what its like on a day-to-day basis.

“My interest in crime scene investigations and police increased,” Sarah said.

Adding with a laugh, “I didn’t realize there were so many people that worked there! We’re so used to just seeing police giving out tickets, my respect for the police department has grown tremendously.”

“It gave me hope that some day I can get in the CIA or into CSI,” Sabrina said.

She was particularly impressed with O’Donnell, saying she taught them a lot and was very “down to earth.”

O’Donnell said she hopes the experience gave the girls more understanding of their potential careers and a greater understanding of police work.

“I think it’s important that we both get a better understanding of each other,” she said. “That’s what life is about.”

Reporter JOSEPH SERNA may be reached at (714) 966-4619 or at joseph.serna@latimes.com.