Cpl. Tim Cutwright spends most of his time as a member of the motor unit at the University of Tennessee Police Department.
In past years, when he’s not protecting and serving his community, he’s been hitting the books, working towards his college degree. A goal that he accomplished this fall.
Cpl. Cutwright graduated from South College with a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice.
“I am the first in my family to graduate with a college degree,” said Cpl. Tim Cutwright. “There’s a total of six of us, I have one older brother and four older sisters, and I’m the baby.”
Even though that is an accolade he is proud of, it’s not his main reason for doing it.
“I wanted my kids to know that nothing in life comes easy and nothing in life is free,” said Cpl. Cutwright. “I did it the long way, over multiple years working my way through my associate degree first and then on to my bachelor’s degree.”
Cpl. Cutwright added that the journey wouldn’t have been possible without his support system.
“I had so much help from my (work) family, and members of the UT Police Department that kept pushing me and encouraging me along the way,” said Cpl. Cutwright. “They would ask to see my grades, they would show a genuine interest in me and my work, and it really felt like someone cared and that made me work harder.”
Outside of work, he is a Deacon at his church and has a lot of younger kids who look up to him.
“Actions speak louder than words, and I wanted to be an example,” said Cpl. Cutwright. “I wanted to set a solid example for those who look up to me and give them hope.”
Cpl. Cutwright added his (work) family was one of his examples he followed.
“I spent a great deal of my life being told, I wasn’t going to amount to anything,” said Cpl. Cutwright. “I am from a rough area, and it was very hard for me to see that a future was in the cards.”
More than 15 years later, Cpl. Cutwright still serves as an inspiration to others around him at the UT Police Department.
“I learned when I first got to the police department that it was in fact a family, who all support and help one another, it is a great environment,” said Cpl. Cutwright. “My supervisors saw something in me, and all have encouraged me to succeed, to work hard, and achieve goals I set for myself.”
Throughout the University of Tennessee Police Department, dozens of members of the department have achieved their goals of acquiring a degree, or other higher education accolades.
“Academic and professional development are a few of the main characteristics of a successful organization,” said University of Tennessee Police Chief Sean Patterson. “We encourage every member of our department to set higher education goals, and we put forth the effort to encourage and help them succeed any way we can.”
“I love this place, I love this university, and seeing people graduate from UT year after year and getting the chance to help them, it’s an inspiration,” said Cpl. Cutwright. “I can now say, I have my degree, and the possibilities for the future are endless.”
