La Plata, MD – Just days before making the biggest job transition of their lives, the graduates of the Southern Maryland Criminal Justice Academy took a break for lunch.

This session at the academy, Session 43, has 13 students who will work for local police department and fire agencies. On Wednesday, March 1, just two days before their graduation, RE/MAX One and Maryland Trust Title & Escrow, LLC treated the students to lunch at the Greene Turtle in La Plata.

“This is a small way for us to say thank you and good luck in your careers,” Kimberly Bean, a REALTOR® with RE/MAX One and founder of the Southern Maryland Real Estate Network, told the students.

Bean is married to Lt. Chris Bean of the Charles County Sherriff’s Office, and as a spouse of an officer, she offered the students a little advice: Call or text home, especially when you’re on a sensitive case. “It can be a very scary time for those of us who are on the other side of a police officer’s career,” she said. “We all are kind of fearful of what you guys do every day.”

Lt. Bean also spoke to the students, sharing stories from his time at the academy. Being a police officer, he said, means cultivating connections with others, everyone from squad mates to members of the community. “Remember that relationships are important in this job,” he said.

The students were near the end of their six-month training session at the academy. Their training includes every aspect of police work, from weapons to driving to appearing in court. After graduation, they will be sworn in with their respective agencies.

“These students have chosen to dedicate their lives to public service,” said Wanda Davis of RE/MAX One and Maryland Trust Title & Escrow, LLC. “The least we can do is treat them to lunch so they can take a break from the hard work they’re doing at the academy.”

“We appreciate what our police officers do each day to keep our communities safe,” said Dave Weigel, an attorney with Davis, Upton & Palumbo, LLC and branch manager of RE/MAX One. “It is important that they know how grateful we are for their service.”

The luncheon is just one of many events RE/MAX One organizes to thank officers from the county Sherriff’s office. Bean also provides meals for the department’s district stations each month.

“Serving the community as a police officer is difficult, dangerous, and sometimes thankless work,” she said. “We at RE/MAX One want to make sure they know that we notice how hard they work. Providing delicious meals is just one way we can celebrate these public servants.”