By Officer Dan Smith
Kenai Police Department, Class of 2002
My journey to becoming a police officer didn’t begin the day I stepped off a plane onto a remote island in Alaska, wearing a borrowed suit and a freshly shaved head while instructors from the Alaska State Trooper Academy barked orders at me.
Nor did my years serving as a missionary in Latin America begin the moment I crossed a foreign border with shaky Spanish and wide-eyed uncertainty. Both journeys began long before I ever set foot in Venezuela or put on a badge.
Their roots reach back to dorm rooms, chapels, classrooms, friendships and the generational legacy of Northwest Nazarene University.
My connection to NNU ran far deeper than enrollment paperwork. My grandparents, parents, aunts, uncles, brother, cousins and many friends and mentors had attended before me. That heritage created a foundation that made NNU feel familiar before I ever arrived.
Looking back, choosing NNU felt less like a decision and more like stepping into a story God had been writing for generations.
I could never have predicted how profoundly my years at NNU would influence my worldview, faith, friendships and career—from mission work in South America and Mexico to becoming a police officer in Alaska.
At NNU, faith was not confined to Sundays or chapel. It permeated everything. Late-night conversations, mentoring relationships and service experiences shaped my understanding of what it means to follow Jesus.
I had opportunities to serve foster children, work with College Church and participate in service trips. One experience I’ll never forget was traveling to San Francisco with a class to serve in some of the toughest areas I had ever seen. I may not remember the course title, but I remember the impact.
Loving God and loving others became more than ideals. They became action and, over time, a compass for my life.
Academically, I wasn’t a standout student. But professors who cared deeply helped keep me on track. They mentored, encouraged and sometimes pushed me to stay focused. More importantly, they made me feel known.
Life outside the classroom was full of adventure, friendships and unforgettable experiences. Those moments shaped me just as much as my coursework.
A defining experience during college was a mission trip to Venezuela. It was my first time so far outside my comfort zone. The people, the culture and the presence of God in that place awakened something in me.
I had planned to pursue law enforcement after graduation, but God had other plans. I took a job in social work and stayed connected to my NNU community.
Eventually, I felt called to serve abroad again. That calling led me to Venezuela for what was supposed to be six months. I stayed for two years.
My time there changed me deeply. I learned that joy doesn’t depend on circumstances, that generosity thrives even in scarcity and that the love of Jesus transcends every barrier.
Later, I served in Mexico, building homes and working alongside families and communities. Those experiences reinforced what I had learned at NNU: that God uses ordinary people to meet real needs.
Eventually, I returned to Alaska and stepped into law enforcement. At first, it seemed like a completely different path. But I quickly realized that my faith and my experiences in missions were not separate from policing. They were essential to it.
Compassion, patience, cultural awareness and the ability to walk with people through difficult moments all became central to my work as a police officer.
Now, after many years of service, I’ve come to see that people are people no matter where they live. Everyone is looking for belonging, love, justice, grace and restoration.
Looking back, it’s clear that my time at NNU shaped everything—my worldview, my calling and the way I serve others.
NNU taught me to listen for God’s voice, to step boldly into service and to trust that Christ goes before me in every season of life.
My story began at NNU, and its impact continues to guide me every single day.
