Deputy Rachel Marginean didn’t grow up with a family law enforcement legacy. Quite the opposite. Her parents, who emigrated from Romania and own a retirement home, expected her to go to college and choose a different career path. 

When, at just 15 years old, she asked them for permission to join the Gresham Police Cadets, a program for high school students interested in law enforcement careers, they initially refused.

After some convincing, Marginean was allowed to join and remained in the cadet program, honing strong leadership and public safety skills, until she was 20.5 years old — the exact age she could apply to become an officer.

Now, at 25, the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office deputy is already an experienced public servant — and she says she’s right where she belongs.

“I love how different the job is. I never liked the idea of having a desk job,” she said. “This job is fun and you get a lot of opportunities to expand your career.”

Marginean holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a minor in criminal justice from Portland State University, which she has leveraged throughout her career.

After aging out of the cadet program, Marginean applied to the Gresham Police Department but faced a long hiring process. While she waited, she volunteered with the Hillsboro Police Department’s Domestic Violence Response Team (DVRT) for a year.

It was a coworker who ultimately shifted her trajectory. Deputy Sabrina Homewytewa, who moved from the Gresham Police Department to the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office, encouraged Marginean to apply to the agency.

The Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office hired Marginean on October 31, 2022, when she was just 21 years old, following an eight-month hiring and background process.

Marginean currently patrols East Multnomah County, an area she says has been one of the most welcoming places she has worked.

“The people are super friendly to law enforcement,” she said. “I love it here. I’m glad I chose the Sheriff’s Office.”

She says the human side of policing still motivates her, especially during unpredictable calls, like welfare checks.

“Welfare checks can go either way, but I enjoy that challenge and feel like my time on the Domestic Violence Response Team really equipped me for it,” she said. 

On Thursday, June 25, while patrolling in Troutdale, Deputy Marginean responded to a welfare check regarding an older woman who was disoriented and parked alongside a busy road.

 A person found the woman, used her driver's license to get a home address, and safely escorted her there before calling for help.

 When Deputy Marginean and Deputy Duane Forsberg arrived to check on the woman, they immediately stepped in to ensure she was safe. They called her son to explain the situation and provided him with information on local resources.

That is the heart, integrity, and level of service Marginean demonstrates daily. 

Now in her fourth year with the Sheriff’s Office, Marginean says she’s grateful for the community she serves and the career she’s built. She also appreciates that the job has given her the financial independence many people don’t experience so early in life.

“I’m fully independent. I have a car. I own a house. It’s all because of this job,” she said.

Although Marginean chose a different career path than the one her parents expected, the deputy’s journey has continually been shaped by her family’s story. 

“My father came to the U.S. at age 14 to escape communism,” Marginean said when asked what inspires her. “I grew up watching my parents run an adult care home and work hard to build stability after arriving in a new country. I give them credit for my achievements.”

Though her parents were initially hesitant about her interest in law enforcement, they have since fully embraced her career choice.

“They love that I’m a cop now,” she said.