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Olympian leaves hockey career to join police force

By WTOP Staff

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — When her teammates arrive for hockey training camp, Meghan Agosta will be reporting elsewhere. She’ll be going to the Justice Institute of British Columbia — with her badge and gun.

The three-time Olympic gold medalist in women’s hockey is training to be a police officer in the city where she won one of those gold medals. Agosta was among the recruits sworn in by the Vancouver Police Department last week.

Agosta is a probationary constable with the department until she completes her nine months of academy training. Monday was her first day at the academy.

“I’ve only had two passions in my life and that’s policing and hockey,” Agosta told The Canadian Press by phone. “To be able to fulfill both dreams is pretty amazing.”

She was Canada’s top scorer at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, with nine goals and six assists in five games. She was honored as the most valuable player of the women’s tournament.

Agosta has represented Canada in women’s hockey for a decade. She celebrated her 19th birthday with a hat trick against Russia at the 2006 Turin Olympics. In February, she and her teammates won the gold medal in Sochi, Russia. Canada came back from two goals down to beat the United States in overtime.

Agosta isn’t retiring from the national team. She is simply taking a break and intends to keep her hockey skills sharp with the police department’s Centurions team. Agosta wants to play in a fourth Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, in 2018.

“I’m not retiring whatsoever,” she said. “I’m only 27 years old. I still want to be a part of Team Canada at least until South Korea and I guess we’ll see after that.”

The women’s hockey team trains full time together in Calgary the winter before a Winter Games. In non-Olympic years, it gets together for camps and international tournaments.

Melody Davidson, Hockey Canada’s general manager of women’s teams, was prepared for Agosta’s absence.

“She definitely has said she wants to play and wants to play in the future,” Davidson said.

Agosta moved to Vancouver this month. Her husband, Marco Marciano, is the video coach for the American Hockey League’s Hamilton Bulldogs. Agosta completed a criminal justice degree with a minor in criminal psychology while playing NCAA hockey for Mercyhurst in Pennsylvania.

She has stated several times her ambition is to work with a police department’s canine unit, but she’s open to other avenues of policing.

“Definitely canine is still on my mind,” Agosta said. “Right now, I want to just become the best police officer I can and help make a difference in the community.

“I want to become this constable and figure out what it is I actually love. I’ll go out on many different calls to many different things where I’ll be able to tell what I’m interested in.”

She thinks recruits will be on the shooting range as early as this week. One of Agosta’s hobbies is trapshooting.

“I’ve never shot a handgun,” she said. “The biggest challenge for me will be to learn the laws. We’re going to studying every single day. It’s definitely not going to be easy. And to be a police officer, you are going to be in stressful situations. Playing hockey you’re in stressful situations. Going into an Olympic final, that’s pretty crazy.”

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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