From campus life to cracking cases, one recent Salve Regina University alumni is trading classrooms for the crime scene. Lia-Sophie Keller ’23, ’24 (M), an administration of justice major and psychology minor, earned her master’s degree in administration of justice and homeland security from the University last May and is embarking on a new chapter in her career.
Having recently passed the exam to become a special agent, Keller will report to the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) on Nov. 7, where she’ll officially step into her role with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) under the Department of Homeland Security. Keller’s journey to becoming a special agent is a story of determination, academic excellence and the strong support she received from the Salve community.
A Unique Education
Previously from Ohio, Keller had recently moved to Rhode Island with her family before discovering Salve. Her decision to attend the University was influenced by the warm and welcoming community atmosphere she experienced during her first visit to campus.
“When we toured the campus, everyone kept saying ‘we’ instead of ‘they’ – like we were already part of the community. That really drew me in,” Keller said. “I met some of my professors on that very first day – Dr. Michael Brady, Vincent Petrarca and Dr. Robert Hehl – and I immediately knew I wanted them as my professors. It just felt like the right place.”
Keller’s academic career began at Salve during the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the challenges of starting her degree in a remote environment, she quickly made the most of her time on campus, becoming involved in various leadership roles.
“I was very involved on campus right from the beginning,” she recalled. “I was in student government my first year, a peer mentor and eventually became the head writing tutor. I loved that Salve gave me so many opportunities to grow not just academically, but also as a person.”
Keller’s passion for law enforcement, specifically federal law enforcement, has been a lifelong interest. “I’ve always wanted to work for a federal agency,” she said. “I don’t know where it came from – no one in my family worked in law enforcement – but it was always something that interested me.”
While at Salve, Keller’s academic interests began to align with her career goals. A pivotal moment came during her sophomore year when Dr. Paul Joyce, assistant professor and chair of the Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology, invited her to a guest lecture by an HSI representative.
Keller recalled the impact of that presentation vividly. “As soon as the speaker finished, I knew that’s what I wanted to do,” she said. “I went right up to him and asked how I could get involved.” That connection led to an internship, which would become a defining experience in her path to becoming a special agent.
Her internship with the HSI’s resident agent in charge office offered invaluable hands-on experience. “My internship not only introduced me to the baseline fundamentals of investigative techniques and further exposed me to criminal law and legal processes, but it taught me how to act, speak and write in a law enforcement environment,” Keller said.
The Pathways Program
During her last year at Salve, Keller applied to both open special agent positions and the Pathways Program, ultimately choosing the latter. The Pathways Program, designed for students completing their degrees, required Keller to work 640 hours while finishing her master’s degree.
This program allowed her to gain practical experience as a criminal investigator. “I do my own investigating and have access to the same resources as agents,” she said.
Within the program, the work was anything but routine. A typical day might involve everything from firearms and defensive tactics training to conducting research using open-source databases, performing phone extractions and reviewing surveillance footage. Keller would also spend time in the courtroom, where she would observe trials at the federal courthouse in Boston to understand the court process and what it’s like to testify, a critical aspect of her future role.
Keller’s role focused on financial crimes and drug-related financial investigations, a highly specialized and crucial area of federal law enforcement. “It’s a mix of excitement and routine,” she said. “I’m okay sitting in a car for 12 hours if it means getting to be part of something bigger – like early morning warrants or surveillance operations.”
The Impact of Support and Preparation
Reflecting on her time at Salve, Keller credits her professors for helping her reach this milestone of becoming a special agent. “Joyce was key – he introduced me to HSI and gave me the support I needed to succeed,” Keller said. “I could walk into his office or anyone else’s – Dr. Brady, Mr. Petrarca, Dr. Hehl – and ask for advice on anything. They always knew how to prepare me for the next step.”
In addition to her professors, Keller also credits her coursework, particularly in criminal law and psychology, with shaping her understanding of the field. “Going into my career, I felt very well prepared, and I seemed to be adjusting quicker than some students who came from different universities,” she said. “Rather than just learning about criminal law and procedure and the American judicial system, I learned what it would really be like to be a part of it.”
As Keller prepares for FLETC and her future as a special agent, she looks back at her time at Salve with immense gratitude.
“The faculty did an amazing job of building the whole person,” she said. “It wasn’t just about academics – it was about preparing us for real-world challenges. Salve gave me everything I needed to get to where I am today.”
