When is the last time you investigated organized crime syndicates? For alumnus Cory Vinlove ’08, he does it all in a day’s work.

“I began my career in law enforcement in 2012 with the Travis County Sheriff’s Office,” says Cory. “After feeling led by God, and after much prayer and conversation with my wife, I eventually decided to transfer to the Lexington Police Department in Lexington, Kentucky. I am currently a detective in the gang unit, where I investigate criminal offenses by gang members as well as other organized criminal syndicates. I work closely with many local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies to quell gang activity and violence all throughout the state of Kentucky.”

The Lexington Police Department awarded Cory the Life Saving Award in the summer of 2019 for heroic actions he took when he came upon a vehicle teetering near the edge of a steep embankment that led to a waterway. He and fellow detective, Steven Hudak, worked their way down to the vehicle and were able to use their body weight to keep the car from going over the edge, rendering aid to the trapped driver until the fire department could arrive.

Cory took a non-traditional route in recently obtaining his B.S. in Criminal Justice from the University of Louisville. “I started at ACC after graduating from Hill Country,” says Cory. “After two years, I put my education on hold to begin my career in law enforcement. In 2017, I continued my education because I wanted to complete the task I set for myself years ago. Going back to school in my late twenties was an interesting experience. I had much more respect for education and was much more disciplined than when I was eighteen years old. Even with the long gap in my education, the basis of knowledge that I received from Hill Country stuck with me and helped me transition back into my education process seamlessly.”

Cory eagerly recounted his times at Hill Country, noting, “The things that stick out most in my memory are the teachers that demanded the best from me academically but also took a personal interest in my development as a godly, successful individual. Teachers like Scott Horne, Edward Baptiste, and Patricia Brunson were key figures in my life that not only gave me a top-notch education but encouraged me and challenged me to grow as a person.”

Cory and his wife are enjoying the Lexington life but also enjoy occasional trips back to Austin, where they met through the college ministry of Hill Country Bible Church in 2010.