For Antelope Valley College alumnus Bruno Starling, being sworn in as a Law Enforcement Officer with the Lancaster Police Department marked the culmination of a journey that began years earlier at AVC.

Standing at Lancaster City Hall for his swearing-in and pinning ceremony, Starling reflected on the path that brought him from an uncertain teenager to a career serving the community he now calls home.

“It felt like a movie of my life was playing in my head—from being a teenager, unsure of my future and with no family here in the United States, to starting as a cadet at AVC and now becoming a sworn officer at the Lancaster Police Department,” Starling said. “I’m grateful to be so young and have the opportunity to learn from experienced officers and hopefully carry their legacy forward.”

Starling came to AVC in 2019 and enrolled in the Administration of Justice program. He later joined the college’s Campus Safety Cadet program, where he gained firsthand exposure to law enforcement and began building relationships with professionals in the field.

For Starling, pursuing a career in law enforcement became a way to give back.

“Coming to this country as a poor immigrant kid, I was very grateful for the opportunities I was given,” Starling said. “I also met great law enforcement officers and instructors, like Carlos Pinho, who had similar experiences. That inspired me to choose law enforcement as a way to give back to the community that welcomed me.”

Pinho, an AVC Administration of Justice faculty member, watched Starling develop from a college student and cadet into a law enforcement professional.

According to Pinho, Starling completed his associate degree at AVC and continued gaining experience in law enforcement, including serving as a volunteer at the Palmdale Sheriff’s Station. He later attended the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Academy and began his professional law enforcement career before joining the Lancaster Police Department.

Through each stage, Starling said his experiences at AVC helped prepare him for the realities and responsibilities of the profession.

“The Administration of Justice program has great instructors with real law enforcement experience, and they showed me what the job is really like and how rewarding it can be,” Starling said. “Being a Campus Safety Cadet also gave me the chance to work around law enforcement officers, learn from them, and understand what really matters when it comes to being a good police officer.”

For Pinho, seeing his former student reach this milestone was the fulfillment of a goal Starling had pursued since his time at AVC.

“He never gave up on his dream,” Pinho said.

Now, Starling’s career has brought him back to the community where he lives. As a Lancaster resident, he said the opportunity to join the Lancaster Police Department was especially meaningful.

“I’m also a Lancaster resident myself, and that’s a big reason why I decided to lateral to the Lancaster Police Department,” Starling said. “I’m excited to serve the community I live in and have the opportunity to make it a better place.”