LYNN — Marshall Middle School Student Resource Officer Brianna Anderson of Lynn Police spoke to a group of roughly 12 kids about her journey forging a career in law enforcement and answered their questions about her experiences day-to-day as a police officer at Tuesday night’s Boys and Girls Club of Lynn’s Career Chat.

Anderson, a Lynn native who became a police officer four years ago and began her post at Marshall two years ago, told the room of kids that she decided to become a law enforcement officer in the 10th grade because she wanted to help others.

“I knew that if I could be a part of my community and show them that what they see on TV or on YouTube with police and minorities and things like that — I knew with confidence that I would never allow that stuff to happen on my watch,” Anderson said.

BGCL’s weekly career chats, in which local professionals sit down with local kids to discuss their career paths, were created by BBCL Executive Director Brian Theirrien and Associate Director Grace Durán to inspire local youths. Durán said the organization was proud to bring on a guest who, being a biracial Lynn native, the kids might see themselves in.

“We specifically chose her because she looks like the members that we serve. She’s from the area, just like our kids, and we think that she’s a great female role model for everyone here,” Durán said.

Anderson answered a number of the kids’ questions, at one point explaining the function of all the tools on her belt and passing around her handcuffs for the kids to hold. She discussed her transition from working as a luxury retailer at Saks Fifth Avenue to joining the Police Department and the challenges she faced attending the police academy.

Reflecting on her time training at the police academy, Anderson noted the struggles of intense discipline and the challenges of extreme mental and physical training. She shared that the most important lesson she learned in the process of becoming a law enforcement officer was to take challenges one day at a time.

When one girl asked Anderson what she considered to be the most rewarding aspect of her job, Anderson said she most enjoyed interacting with kids at Marshall and building relationships with members of her community.

“For you guys to see me, and I look like you and talk like you, and we’re on the same TikToks and Instagram and all that stuff like, that motivates me every single day to just be a better Police Officer. You guys never have to worry about anything. I’ve always got your back,” Anderson said.

Anderson also advised the kids to always be true to themselves and remain calm in hostile or stressful situations, regardless of their chosen field.

“Whether you’re a teacher, a police officer, a librarian, whatever you do, just be true to you,” Anderson said. “If you’re a good person, you care about other people, and you want the best for yourself, your family, and for other people, that will get you extremely far. Just stay true to who you are.”

In the past, BGCL has hosted a number of professional speakers such as Foster and Eldridge Attorney Rebecca Dalpe, President and CEO of The Hall Company Gordon Hall, Eastern Bank Senior Vice President of Business Banking Adriana Moschella, and Loveworks Media Owner Luis Sosa.

Upcoming guests include state Rep. Jenny Armini, Broad Sound Real Estate Owner Nick Daher, and social impact entrepreneur and equitable development advisor Taidgh McClory.

“It gives an opportunity for our teens who are 16, 17, 18 years old. They’re going to have to make some real-life decisions in the next couple of years about what they want to do with their careers, whether they want to go to college or they want to go into a trade,” Theirrien said of the Career Chats program. “We make sure that we bring in the right people to come in to talk to the kids so they’ve got a wide array of different careers and different avenues that they could be a part of.”