Victor Penaloza joined The University of Tennessee Police Department as a Telecommunications Officer in April 2024, driven by a dual passion—to pursue higher education and to serve others.

With the Spring 2025 semester now behind him, Penaloza has completed the master’s program in the College of Communication and Information at the University of Tennessee.

“Helping people and honing my communication skills are the main reasons I went after my telecommunications job,” said Penaloza. “I always want to enhance my career and help pave the way for me to reach my future goals of becoming an entertainment attorney or working in public relations for celebrities.”

Penaloza brings with him a strong academic foundation. He holds degrees in Political Science and Communications from Berea College, and he’s already completed a year of law school. His experience at UTPD has only sharpened his interpersonal abilities.

“Each call, or each person I meet, is a unique way to help make a connection while helping people,” he said. “Speaking with people, developing rapport—these are the building blocks for my future.”

Among his academic experiences, Penaloza was especially surprised by how much he enjoyed computer coding.

“I definitely judged a book by its cover when it comes to the coding classes,” he admitted. “I was very skeptical at first, and it was something I had no experience in. But it ended up not being bad at all. I learned a lot about designing websites, which could help me down the line.”

With his new degree in hand and a steadfast commitment to helping others, Penaloza continues to build toward a future that blends communication, service, and ambition.

“Victor is an amazing asset to our department, he is an extremely hard worker and achieves goals he sets his sights on,” said University of Tennessee Police Chief Sean Patterson. “He is an inspiration to others that are looking to add accolades in higher education to their resumes.”

“I genuinely enjoy my job and my coworkers, I like seeing them and the different things we experience,” said Penaloza. “Most of the time it feels like it isn’t even work, I enjoy helping people so much and working toward my future goals…combining those two worlds is the perfect setup to achieve all my goals.”