Ukiah High alum Jacob Stewart, now a deputy with the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO), recently graduated from the Basic Police Academy (BPA) at Santa Rosa Junior College in late August. Stewart attended Ukiah High until the end of his sophomore year before transferring to independent study, where he graduated in 2019.
In an interview, Stewart shared that his decision to pursue a career in law enforcement was inspired by his father and great uncle, both former MCSO officers.
Stewart explained that high school helped prepare him for law enforcement by exposing him to a diverse range of people, an experience valuable in his current role. He emphasized the importance of hard work in school and building a strong job resume for those interested in following a similar path.
“The most exciting part of law enforcement,” Stewart said, “is that every day is different. Some days you’re busy with back-to-back calls, and other days are quiet, spent patrolling.”
Zach Stewart
Zach Stewart is a sophomore at Ukiah High, Zach has lived in Ukiah his entire life. Zach is a fire cadet for UVFA, Zach signed up for journalism because he enjoys learning about fires across California and wanted to start writing about them. Zach likes fishing and trap shooting, Zach wants to be a firefighter for Cal Fire once he graduates.