UC Clermont criminal justice alum fulfills childhood dream
Kurtsty Ayers loved watching war movies as a kid — and found her eyes always drawn to the good guys.
“I love helping people,” Ayers said. “Being the one to step up and handle situations that most people wouldn’t want to.”
Ayers told herself that if she didn’t have a career path by age 21, she would follow her childhood passion and enroll in the military. After graduating from Cincinnati’s Western Hills High School and spending some rudderless time in community college, she kept her self-promise and joined the Army National Guard in 2010.
“I loved every minute of it,” she said.
Six years of service and a 10-month deployment to Afghanistan later, Ayers was ready for her next challenge. She welcomed a son and began working for the Hamilton County Justice Center as a corrections officer. After five years, Ayers knew that earning a peace officer certification would expand her career opportunities in the field.
She applied to the University of Cincinnati Clermont College Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy in 2020. The academy is one of several criminal justice offerings by the college, in addition to associate degrees focused on corrections and law enforcement.
Once enrolled, Ayers found a relaxed environment and knowledgeable and supportive peers and instructors. Classes were offered in the evenings, which allowed her to work throughout the program. When Ayers tore her calf muscle in the middle of the program, William Dunkman, UC Clermont police academy commander, and other faculty and students were understanding — even showing up to cheer Ayres on when she had to complete her physical fitness test alone, later than the rest of the group.
I love helping people — being the one to step up and handle situations that most people wouldn’t want to.
Kurtsty AyersUC Clermont Police Academy graduate
“Everyone believed in me, and it showed,” said Ayers. “That support inspired me. Instructors stay in contact still to see how I’m doing. It’s an awesome support system.”
UC Clermont Police Academy Commander Bill Dunkman shares a similar path to Ayers — he started his career with the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office in 1979 after receiving an honorable discharge from the U.S. Marine Corps. After 34 years in the field working as both an officer and traffic crash reconstructionist, Dunkman began teaching, joining UC Clermont in 2011. He said Ayers’s grit grew during her time in the academy.
Kurtsty Ayers
“As the academy progressed, I noticed that she became more determined and driven,” Dunkman said. “During training scenarios, she did an excellent job when it came to critical thinking and working out solutions to complex problems. That determination, along with her work ethic, have led to her success.”
While Ayers thought she would continue as a corrections officer, hearing her instructors’ experiences led her to seek a career as a police officer. After graduating with her certificate in 2021, Ayers landed a job with the Forest Park Police Department. Thanks to UC Clermont’s balanced program mix of classroom and hands-on training, she says she felt prepared to work as an officer on day one. She even plans to complete training to become a peace officer training instructor herself.
Ayers is aware that just as she watched her heroes in military movies growing up, another set of young eyes is on her now — and her son, now 10, has served as motivation through every step of her journey.
“My son thinks it’s awesome that mom is a police officer; he tells people,” Ayers said. “I hope that he sees in me to be confident in yourself and go for whatever you want to go for. Be brave. And no matter what you do — help people.”
Learn more about criminal justice at UC Clermont.
Additional Info
Media Contact : Amanda Chalifoux
Source : Amanda Chalifoux, UC Clermont