Kurt Woodfin

Alumni  |  Faculty & Staff  |  Student

Kurt’s passion for law enforcement started at a young age. In fact, before attending SCC he thought he would go to law school and become a lawyer. He ultimately decided that he didn’t want to move away from St. Charles, so Kurt pursued other career options. That’s when he found SCC’s criminal justice program.

“The instructors in SCC’s criminal justice program work in the field and are full of knowledge,” Kurt said. “When I took my internship at the Prosecutor’s Office, that’s when I fell in love.”

Kurt is now on that list of criminal justice professors who work in the field and are filled with knowledge; he has been an adjunct professor at SCC since 1997.

“I love watching students evolve and seeing them find their passion for criminal justice. The most rewarding part of teaching is seeing students get hired at various criminal justice agencies.” 

Kurt, who graduated from St. Charles Community College in 1995 with his A.A. in criminal justice, returned to SCC to teach because he loved the time he spent here.

“SCC reinforced my love for the community,” he recalled.

Kurt spends five hours each week in the classroom and preparing his lectures. The bulk of his career, however, has been spent working his way up to office program coordinator at the Prosecutor’s Office. He has been there since 1998, when he started as a part-time records clerk. To Kurt, being hired as program coordinator for the Prosecutor’s Office was his biggest accomplishment career wise. He doesn’t even truly consider it a job, because he loves doing it so much. 

“Being paid for what I do is icing on the cake. Not a lot of people get to experience that type of fulfillment.” 

Kurt advises his students to be motivated and dedicated, and to also get their bachelor’s and master’s degrees as soon as possible, so they can be successful in the criminal justice field. 

“Getting a master’s degree is paramount, especially for management positions. Everyone has one or is working on getting one, so it is very competitive.”

Kurt’s long-term goal is to stay put in St. Charles County. Career wise, Kurt is exactly where he wants to be; however, he does see potential for becoming more involved as a professor down the road.

“I don’t know where I would be without community college. It’s crazy how much of my life jumpstarted because of SCC!” 

Last updated: Sept. 12, 2018