Meet Tory Green
Meet Tory Green, a 2018 Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice alumnus who balanced full-time police work, family life, and career goals while at Athens State. All things considered, Green shared that returning to college meant finding a university that could accommodate the realities of his life.
For Green, earning a degree was about more than completing college. It was about opening doors to new opportunities, building a future for his family, and discovering just how far his potential could take him. Today, as the CEO and founder of Green Research and Technology, Green credits Athens State University as the catalyst that helped make his journey possible.
Athens State provided flexibility through online coursework, accessible faculty, and a process that recognized the value of his previous experience, known as the Prior Learning Assessment (PLA). After learning about Athens State from a coworker, Green discovered that his police academy training and previously earned college credits could help him obtain a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice, which was required for his ultimate goal of serving as a special agent in the United States Secret Service.
Through the PLA process, Dr. Quanda Watson-Stevenson, Professor of Criminal Justice, worked with Green to evaluate his previous training and align his curriculum with his educational goals. The result was a more direct path to completing his degree in approximately a year and a half.
“They (Athens State) literally went line by line and found how we could make my past work for me,” Green said. “They wanted me to achieve and reach my goals, not start me over.”
For Green, Athens State was not simply a place to earn credits. It was a community invested in helping him succeed. Upon his graduation in 2018, Green was able to apply and ultimately begin a new chapter in his career as Special Agent Green of the United States Secret Service.
Green recalls the privilege of both seeing the world and protecting national and foreign government leaders as a special agent. In 2023, Green completed his time with the Secret Service and used his specialized experience in areas such as network intrusion to establish his government contracting company, Green Research and Technology. Today, Green Research and Technology continues to grow, with a team of 23 employees just three years after its founding.
“The catalyst for it all is Athens State,” he said.
More about Criminal Justice
The criminal justice system is about more than enforcing laws. It’s about protecting communities, understanding human behavior, ensuring due process, preventing crime, and helping create a safer and more just society.
The Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice at Athens State University provides a broad understanding of the systems, institutions, and professionals that make up the criminal justice field. You’ll explore law enforcement, courts, corrections, criminology, ethics, public safety, and the social factors associated with crime. Whether you’re preparing for a career in law enforcement, corrections, courts, federal service, security, or another public safety field—or you’re already working in the field and ready to advance—Athens State can help you take the next step. Learn more HERE.
More about PLA
The Adult Learner Services Office (ALSO) provides a nationally recognized method of allowing college credit for learning that may have been attained through work, seminars, training programs, military education, and certification programs through the Prior Learning Assessment (PLA). Many students and employers find this program extremely attractive because it provides a means to potentially earn college credit from non-traditional sources. Learn more HERE.
