One bad decision | S. Archer | TEDxGreenRockCorrectionalCenter

Sgt Archer is a correctional officer -- but he could have ended up on the other side of the prison bars. I have been in corrections for 10 years, I started as an officer in a building, moved to the yard officer and a Field Training Officer (FTO), then became a Sergeant. I enjoyed being an FTO because I was able to interact with the new officers and train them to be the best officers they could be. I graduated from Averett University in 2023 with a bachelor’s degree in Sociology/Criminal Justice. I decided to go back and finish my degree that I had started many years ago because of a conversation with my son about the importance of education, trying your best, and putting forth effort in school. My son’s response to our conversation was, “You never graduated from college and you are doing just fine.” It was then that I realized I could not preach to my son about the importance of education when I hadn’t finished myself. When not at work, I am busy working in the family business, around the farm, and spending time with my family. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at www.ted.com/tedx