Meet Courtney Jeffries, a 2005 graduate from the College of Arts and Sciences. Jeffries is a proud graduate of the University and would not be where he is today without his family, faith, and Athens State.
Jeffries is now in law enforcement and has held positions such as juvenile correctional officer, and behavioral specialist at a youth psychiatric hospital, and is currently serving as a Deputy Sheriff with the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office. Jeffries works with the inmates at the jail and has spent most of his career helping young people who need a second chance. Something that he too, is familiar with.
“I really believe my previous experiences help me relate to the young people I work with,” said Jeffries.
In May of 2000, Jeffries graduated from high school with an accomplished basketball record. He was awarded a basketball scholarship to Bevill State Community College to begin his collegiate journey, but things did not go quite the way he had hoped. To Jeffries’s dismay, his collegiate basketball career was not at all like what he experienced in high school. He struggled on and off the court, and may not have made it without the encouragement from his parents to persevere.
Jeffries bounced from school to school, working his hardest to maintain his grades, his scholarship status, and his playing time on the court. In 2003, Jeffries completed the summer semester at Athens State and made the Dean’s List. This accomplishment paired with a basketball scholarship to Athens State allowed him to enroll as a full-time student at the University. He was ready for the fresh start that Athens State provided him. However, another setback occurred when it was announced that the 2003-2004 basketball season would be the last for the Athens State Bears. Ultimately, this brought Jeffries’s basketball career to an end.
“As a collegiate athlete, I would have never chosen for my career to end the way it did,” recalled Jeffries. “But, if it hadn’t, I don’t think I would have graduated from Athens, and Athens State changed everything for me.”
One of the best things about endings is that there is always a new beginning. Jeffries, for the first time, had the opportunity to solely focus on his education. He changed his major and graduated in May of 2005 with a Bachelor of Science in Liberal Studies.
“I will never forget the feeling of accomplishment I had from graduating college,” said Jeffries. “One of the best things was being able to finish school while my scholarship was still paying for it!”
Jeffries has had a successful career in law enforcement and plans to remain in the field, with hopes to become a court deputy or school resource officer. His career path will allow him to continue positively impacting those around him because he knows what it is like to need a second chance and a helping hand. Jeffries is now married with four children and three grandchildren.
About the College of Arts and Sciences
The College of Arts & Sciences is a dynamic learning community where expert faculty and dedicated staff collaborate to engage the intellect, excite the imagination, and enrich the lives of all students by curating courses, programs, and degrees that foster curiosity, ingenuity, employability, and citizenship in a changing world. The College of Arts and Sciences is an academically diverse College, brimming with opportunities for all, including more than forty majors, thirty minors, ten certificates, and five graduate degrees – all designed to equip students with the knowledge, experience, and credentials for fulfilling lives and successful careers. Learn more HERE.