TaKima Butler ’11

By Baker Maultsby and Samantha Wagner

This article appeared originally in the Fall 2018 issue of Frontiers Magazine.

TaKima Butler calls it “an honor” to serve as a police officer in Aiken, South Carolina — the town where she grew up. The 2011 Spartanburg Methodist College graduate feels a special connection to Aiken residents and strives to build positive relationships between law enforcement and the community. She’s especially eager to make a difference for Aiken’s young people. “I want them to know they can be anything they want to be,” she said.

When she was a teenager, Butler was a golfer. She had hopes of playing the sport in college, and SMC gave her that opportunity. The College was also great fit for her academically and socially. “I liked that SMC is a small campus and everyone pretty much knew each other,” she said, adding that faculty and staff members were welcoming and supportive. “It made the transition from high school to college very easy.”

A future in law enforcement was on Butler’s mind during her years at SMC. She was a criminal justice major at the College and continued her studies in the field after enrolling at The Citadel, where she also played golf.

She was hired by the City of Aiken Department of Public Safety just two weeks after graduating from The Citadel. In a feature video for the City of Aiken, Butler said she jumped at the opportunity: “I was ready to get going and be part of this community. It’s something I always wanted to do.”

Butler, who earned a Master’s Degree in Professional Counseling from Liberty University earlier this year, remains grateful for her time at SMC and says she would encourage high school students to give the College a serious look: “I would tell any young person who is considering SMC to go for it. … It’s a great atmosphere.”