The thought of being able to help the community and being involved in a practical and rewarding job meant that within a month of graduating with a Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Arts in Japanese she was attending the Royal New Zealand Police College, in Porirua.
Ms Saxton (23), a former Otago Girls High School pupil, said a fast-paced night out with police officers as part of a fourth-year sentencing paper was enough to make her decide that policing was for her.
After 19 weeks at the police college she was named second in her wing and the top recruit in practical assessments. She was then posted to Dunedin, which is her home town.
Having been on the job about a month, Ms Saxton said she was quickly fitting into the role and had not had to deal with any "scary" situations as yet.
And her law degree might not be wasted: she is considering a move to prosecutions once she is settled in the job.
