Craig Daily Press

Craig — Janet Pearcey admits she had hopes for what career her daughter, Desirae, would pursue after high school.

Perhaps a surgeon.

“Or a dentist,” Janet said.

She has a particular interest in the latter.

Janet, Northwest Colorado Dental Coalition executive director, has worked in the dental care field for more than 20 years.

“A dentist is a wonderful opportunity for women in general, I think,” she said.

But, Desirae, a graduating Moffat County High School senior, has other plans.

In September, she plans to attend the Johnson & Wales University in Denver and will study criminal justice.

After earning a bachelor’s degree, she hopes to join the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

“In the long run, I want to be investigating murder cases” and completing similar investigations, Desirae said.

Desirae’s interest in joining the agency springs from several sources.

The first: Justice.

The upbringing she received from her parents gave her strong morals, Desirae said, adding that joining the agency gives her a practical outlet for those values.

Another factor: “I really like to solve puzzles,” she said. “I think that if you are investigating something criminal like that, you can benefit other people.”

Initially, Desirae had planned to specialize in lab work, becoming a forensic surgeon with the FBI. Recently, though, she’s decided to enter the investigative side of the agency.

The new direction better suits her interests, Desirae said.

Pursuing her chosen path could take Desirae far from the life she’s known.

If she is accepted into the FBI, she plans to leave Northwest Colorado for more densely-populated areas.

“There’s a lot more crime that happens in the big city,” she said. “It keeps you on your feet all the time.”

Los Angeles and New York currently head her wish list of future destinations.

Moving to a metropolis poses some challenges for Desirae.

“It scares me,” she said. “Just going to Denver kind of scares me because it’s completely different and so much larger.”

Still, she says she’s ready for a challenge.

“I like to keep going and try different things,” she said. “It will be a new experience.”

Desirae also must overcome a few hurdles before she can join the FBI’s ranks.

Her bachelor’s degree will take about two and a half years to complete. After graduation, she’ll have to pass an interview with an FBI representative before she can be accepted to the agency.

Desirae is already a step ahead in achieving that first goal. Taking dual-credit courses at the Colorado Northwestern Community College has earned her an associate’s degree in general sciences.

Janet has watched her daughter’s interest in investigative work develop during the years.

“She’s been interested in criminal justice and law since she was in her early teens,” she said. “Originally, she wanted to be an attorney.”

Later, Janet said, Desirae’s interest in science took over, steering her toward forensic investigations.

Janet said she believes Desirae’s interests will return to lab-based work.

“If she’s in the field, that kind of bothers me a little bit,” she said. “She’s my baby.”

Her intitial hopes for her daughter’s future notwithstanding, Janet said she’s not disappointed with her daughter’s choice.

“I’m excited,” she said. “At this point in time … she’s so motivated, so driven that I know whatever avenue she finally decides to go in — field work or whatever — that she’ll do very well and make a very good life for herself.”