Cleveland, GA – The Michael Sattler School of Public Service’s Public Safety Academy celebrated the graduation of its second and third class on December 12, 2025. Ten students graduated from the program, prepared to enter the field of public service.
The ceremony opened with a welcome from Jeff Branyon, Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice and Director of POST Academy. His words reminded the graduates before him of their call and willingness to serve wherever the Lord placed them. He shared Isaiah 6:8, the cornerstone of TMU’s POST Academy:
“And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?’ Then I said, ‘Here I am! Send me.’” (ESV)
Following the Pledge of Allegiance, led by Ryan Figlow, and an invocation from Dr. Mael Disseau, Vice President of Academic Services, keynote speaker and professor Fred Stephens took the stage. Stephens’ career of more than 37 years included retiring from the Georgia Bureau of Investigations as an inspector to serve as the Assistant Chief of Police for the Athens-Clarke County Police Department before his appointment to Chief of Police for the Clarke County School District Police Department. He currently serves as a Visiting Distinguished Professor of Criminal Justice for the Michael Sattler School of Public Service and the Ninth Congressional District representative to the Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice’s Board of Juvenile Justice.
Stephens’ message to the graduates was simple and powerful. He reminded graduates that public service is in one’s heart, that character is not revealed in headlines or developed in crisis, but is formed by those around you.
“Character is doing the right thing when no one else is watching,” he reminded students.
Class representative Ephriam George followed Professor Stephens, and shared anecdotes from training and what the academy instilled in studnets. Afterward, Dr. J. Marie Griffin-Taylor, Chair of the School of Public Service, presented the graduates with Professor Jeff Branyon, and the ceremony closed with a benediction from Dr. John Yarbrough, Interim President of TMU.
This year’s graduates are:
- Halle Joy Barker
- Gabriel Levi Bishop
- Jesse William Culpepper
- Ryan Paul Figelow
- Ephriam Brian George
- Stanley Cung Biak Lal
- Ethan Carey Ledford
- Colby Blake Liesen
- Juila Fernanda Ruiz II
- Silas Ellis Smith
Approved by the Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Council, TMU’s full-service police academy allows the university to offer training for those called to enter the field of law enforcement and those already working in the field. Students receive instruction from individuals with advanced academic degrees, extensive experience, and passion for sharing the Gospel and discipleship.
For more information on the Michael Sattler School of Public Service, please visit: https://truett.edu/degrees/criminal-justice/ or email admissions@truett.edu.
Truett McConnell University is a private Christian liberal arts and sciences university located in
Cleveland, Georgia, and has been ranked by Best Value Schools as the #1 Christian College in Georgia. TMU offers 80+ different programs of study including baccalaureate, master’s, and doctoral degrees. The University boasts a 15:1 student-to-faculty ratio while 100% of incoming students receive financial aid. For more information about Truett McConnell University, visit www.truett.edu
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