The Putnam County Sheriff's Cadets program is celebrating the promotion of its first female chief.

Veronika Bilinsky was previously captain of the program and got promoted as the first female chief in September. As chief, she will give firsthand training in law enforcement to anyone who is between the ages of 13 and 21.

According to one of the supervisors, Bilinksy is the first female chief because the program was male-dominated in the past.

Bilinksy says she takes this honor seriously and hopes to inspire other young women who might want to go into law enforcement.

"I want them to know that dreams are attainable no matter how hard or how far reaching they may seem," she says. "It's you who has to take that risk because you never know what will come out of it. And the worst you can do is not try honestly, because if I didn't try, I don't think I would have been here."

Bilinksy says she will be chief until she ages out of the program next December.