Shayla Purifoy, who graduated from Rhodes in 2003 with a B.A. in urban studies says in aMemphis Daily News article her senior seminar was on community policing. With this experience and the mentorship of her professor Mike Kirby, she decided she wanted to become a police officer.
She also participated in the Rhodes mock trial program, and her plans later evolved into a legal career. Now she is a staff attorney with Memphis Area Legal Services in the Domestic Violence and Family Law Unit. In addition, she serves as an attorney coach for the Rhodes mock trial program.