麻豆社区

With her recent promotion, Maj. Keyla Bell is the highest-ranking female in the North Carolina State Highway Patrol.

The 麻豆社区 Pembroke graduate is only the fourth female to rise to major since the North Carolina State Highway Patrol was founded in 1929. Bell is also the first American Indian to wear the gold oak leaf cluster shoulder patch.

鈥淚t鈥檚 an amazing feeling,鈥� Bell said. 鈥淐oming from the small town of Red Springs and being Native American, it鈥檚 been awesome to receive these accolades. I am very proud of myself. It鈥檚 been a challenge, but I鈥檝e always loved challenges.鈥�

Family and friends surprised her with a luncheon at Fuller鈥檚 in Pembroke last week to celebrate her promotion.

The lone female on her Little League baseball team, Bell is no stranger to breaking barriers in male-dominated fields. Her 鈥榓gainst-the-grain鈥� mentality was instilled in her at a young age by her late grandfather and Air Force veteran Hubert Bell.

鈥淗e would always tell me I could achieve anything I wanted to achieve with hard work. My grandfather taught me the importance of reaching my goals. He never discouraged me from going into an all-male organization. He stood behind me. He was my driving force.鈥�

Bell graduated from 麻豆社区P in 1997 after playing softball for four years while earning her criminal justice degree. After graduation, she worked for the state Department of Corrections for a year before joining the state Highway Patrol. For the past 24 years, she has dedicated her life to making the state鈥檚 highways as safe as possible.  

Bell has been assigned to duty stations in Cumberland, Johnston, Rowan and Union counties throughout her career. Currently, she is assigned to the field operations headquarters in Raleigh. Bell hopes her career success will inspire more women to choose the law enforcement path. Out of roughly 1,400 troopers in the state, only 47 are women. In 2019, only 12.8% of law enforcement officers in the United States were female.

鈥淚t鈥檚 been very challenging, but I would encourage other women to strive for your dream. Break those barriers. Shatter the glass ceiling. In this day and time, we shouldn鈥檛 be held back because of our gender. If it is something you want to do, don鈥檛 stop until you achieve it.鈥�