By Lauren Beeman

Quincy University student Karl Hirsch knows exactly what he would say if he could talk to a younger version of himself.

“Things always have a way of working out. Control what you can control to the best of your abilities, most importantly stay positive,” Hirsch said.

The quote summarizes Hirsch’s life experiences so far because his ‘go with the flow’ attitude is what landed him at Quincy University.

As his senior year of high school drew to a close and graduation passed, Hirsch had not yet made a college decision. The Ft. Lauderdale native was playing baseball in Vero Beach during the summer of 2015, and was approached by a former QU baseball coach.

“This was in early July of my post-senior year. I had a few other junior colleges in mind for baseball, but I ended up coming here. I surprised myself,” Hirsch said.

Armed with the chance to continue his baseball career at the collegiate level, the right-handed pitcher packed his bags and headed toward the midwest. A move he says allowed him to appreciate where he came from.

Hirsch new immediately he wanted to major in criminal justice.

“I want to work as a police officer at first, and I’ve considered and liked the idea of applying to work for the Secret Service,” Hirsch said.

As the son of two police officers, this career path seemed intuitive to Hirsch. Family trips to Washington, DC also fueled Hirsch’s desire to work for a government agency.

“I think we totaled it up one time. In my family I think there is over 200 years of law enforcement experience. If I would have been born into a different family, I think I still would have been drawn to law enforcement, but having that around you growing up definitely helps,” Hirsch said.

QU requires students to complete a set of practicum hours for their intended majors. This year, Hirsch is working on his through an internship with the Quincy Police Department.

Hirsch’s hands-on internship in the field with QPD officers offers a unique experience for the aspiring officer.

According to Hirsch, QPD officers conduct their own follow-up work, meaning that detectives are only brought in during major investigations. QPD officers conduct their own investigations in most cases.

“The QPD officers are incredibly well-rounded officers when it comes to their work. All of them have investigative skills. My experience has been nothing but positive, and when it comes to doing the job, I have not found too many officers I would look up to more,” Hirsch said.

Hirsch has not only experienced the every-day duties of law enforcement through shadowing and riding along with officers on duty,  but has been able to learn from their investigative skills which is an opportunity he believes is rare.

Hirsch says his experiences on the baseball diamond and his internship have encouraged and challenged him all while making him driven, focused, and well-rounded.

While Hirsch boasts a love for politics, baseball, and playing guitar, his roommate, teammate, and friend, Carter Naughton, believes the fact that Hirsch is a picky eater is one of the many things that makes Hirsch unique.

“Karl has made my experience at QU much more enjoyable, especially with being able to appreciate my political jokes and sense of humor. It’s also nice I don’t have to worry about him stealing my pepperoni pizza or bacon,” Naughton said.

Jokes aside, Naughton admires Hirsch for his humor and intelligence, among many other things that he believes make Hirsch a great friend.

Whether he ends up in D.C. or back home in Ft. Lauderdale after graduation, Hirsch will be locked and loaded with knowledge, humility, and best of all a positive attitude allowing him to handle whatever pitch life throws him next.