In the classic children’s novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Dorothy Gale is told to find the Yellow Brick Road and follow it to find the magical Land of Oz

Wayne State University Police Captain Patrick Saunders also was told to follow the Yellow Brick Road — a rigorous six-mile run and obstacle course through rough terrain built by the Marines in Quantico, Virginia. The arduous journey was the culmination of a 10-week training session that the 44-year-old needed to complete in order to graduate from the FBI National Academy (FBINA).

As Dorothy found the Wizard of Oz at the end of her fictional journey, Saunders and his 222 classmates navigated their final challenge. On March 16, they were recognized by FBI Director Christopher Wray as the official graduates of the 271st FBINA program.

“The FBINA provided a unique training experience where law enforcement executives from throughout the country and world gathered to share ideas and experiences,” Saunders said. “The academy puts great emphasis on the importance of your employees’ physical and emotional health and the importance of strong leadership for law enforcement organizations. So much knowledge was shared outside of the classroom by living with these professionals for 10 weeks and sharing experiences.”

The graduates — who hailed from law enforcement agencies in 48 states, 18 international countries, five military organizations, and five federal civilian organizations — were embedded at Quantico, where they participated in daily physical and academic activities.

“We participated in a variety of classes studying leadership in law enforcement, employment law issues, emerging drug trends, conspiracies and cyber threats. The scope and depth of the academic side of the training was intensive,” Saunders said.

The process of gaining admission to the FBINA program requires great effort, starting with recommendations from superiors, official FBI background checks, voluminous paperwork and a great deal of patience. “From the time that I was given the go-ahead to move forward with the application process, there was a period of about a year-and-a-half,” Saunders noted. The program is so selective and sought after that some applicants have waited up to five years, and there are no guarantees of acceptance.

Wayne State University Police Chief Anthony Holt, who offered the official recommendation for Saunders to pursue admission, said completing the FBINA was a milestone not only for Saunders, but for the police department and the university.

“Captain Saunders is the first officer during our department’s 52-year history to be accepted into the FBI National Academy Program,” Holt said. “He has represented our police department with distinction since he joined in 2005 as a patrol officer. During his tenure in the department, he has risen through the ranks, including his appointment as captain in 2016. I am proud of his service and accomplishments — for him personally, as well as the department and the university.”

Reflecting on his experience at Quantico, Saunders said that although the overall program tested the limits of the participants, perhaps one of the toughest challenges was living in a dorm room environment completely separated from family. The Royal Oak resident was recently reunited with his wife, Kellie, and daughter Emilee.

Looking to the future Saunders, who formerly held positions as an accountant with Louisiana-Pacific, and a Detroit Police Department police officer, said he “plans to take the lessons learned from the training and use them to enhance the Wayne State University Police Department.”

Also at the top of his list: “Being a soccer dad.”