Ocean County College OceanViews Magazine 2026 Summer-Fall - Flipbook - Page 13
Christine Depre, Ph.D.
At 35 years old, Christine Depre came to
Ocean County College hoping to earn an
associate degree. She discovered something far greater: the confidence to redefine her future. Today, she is a criminal
justice professor, advocate and author
whose newly published memoir tells the
story of the journey that began with one
courageous step onto the OCC campus.
Depre’s early life was marked by family
instability, addiction and trauma. She
left school after eighth grade and, by age
16, was raising two young children. She
eventually earned her GED, but with no
family model for higher education and
little support, her initial attempt at college was unsuccessful. At 18, she survived
a home invasion and violent assault that
left her feeling, in her words, “worthless, defined by her circumstances.”
After years of healing and rebuilding
her life, Depre married and was raising a growing family when she enrolled
in a 40-hour training program to work
on behalf of victims of sexual violence.
The experience gave her a renewed
sense of purpose. With military education benefits covering her tuition, she
enrolled at Ocean County College with
one goal: to earn an associate degree
so she could become a victim advocate
in the prosecutor’s office, inspired by
a person who had once helped her.
Walking into her first class was one of
the hardest things she’d ever done.
“I remember walking up the stairs and
being scared to death,” she recalls.
“I didn’t know what to expect.” The
coursework felt like a foreign language,
and she worried about feeling out of place
among younger classmates. Struggling
to catch up, she landed on academic
probation early on, but help from her
professors and support from OCC’s
Veterans Office kept her moving forward.
Making the honor roll for the first time
changed everything. “It solidified that I
could do this. I was really proud of myself,”
she says. That pride became fuel. Despite
challenging coursework, long work shifts,
and the demands of raising her family, she was determined to keep going.
“For so long, I was put down—as a victim
of environment, of assault, of poverty,”
she says. “My education was empowering.
It was something I had that nobody could
take away. It made me want it even more.
I wasn’t going to be a victim of my past.”
When Depre graduated in 2018, her children were there to celebrate with her. It
was a full-circle moment she’ll never forget.
“
I broke so many
After graduation, Depre’s family relocated to Florida, where she continued
her education at Florida State College
at Jacksonville. “I liked going to class. It
felt productive. It was building my selfesteem,” she says. She went on to earn a
bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree
in Human Services before completing
a doctorate in Criminal Justice in 2025.
Her dissertation examined how first
responders influence the experiences
of sexual violence survivors—research
she continues to use to advocate
for more trauma-informed training
and legislation for law enforcement.
Today, Dr. Depre serves as a program
director and criminal justice professor at
Keiser University. As a public speaker and
advocate, she draws on both her professional expertise and personal experiences
to champion trauma-informed training
and policy reform to better serve survivors
of violence. Most recently, she published
her memoir, sharing the story of how she
transformed unimaginable hardship into
a life of purpose, advocacy, and hope.
Her advice for anyone who wonders
if it’s too late to pursue a dream is
simple and hard-earned: “Drown out
the noise. Don’t ever let society decide
the future for you. You hold the power.”
generational curses.
OCC gave me that start.
”
– Christine Depre, class of 2018
Christine Depre’s inspirational memoir,
“Where the Chaos Couldn’t Follow: A
Memoir about Pain, Purpose, and Learning
to Let Go,” is available now on Amazon.
HEY, VIKINGS!
We Want to Hear From You!
Help us keep our alumni community strong by updating your contact information
and sharing your latest accomplishments for our Alumni on the Move section. Your
update may be featured in an upcoming issue!
Visit the “Update Your Profile” link at ocean.edu/alumni, or send your updated
address, phone number, email, and career news to occalumni@ocean.edu. We look
forward to celebrating your successes!
Ocean Views
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