Crossville School Resource Officer Is Tennessee’s SRO Of the Year

Van Ruden the winner among some 1800 SROs statewide

Crossville’s Scott Van Ruden received the state’s School Resource Officer of the Year award.

Graduating seniors at Cumberland County High School nominated him. Van Ruden was nominated by graduating seniors at his school. Van Ruden said he recieved copies of the nominating letters after the ceremony.

“It about made me cry for the letters they submitted,” Van Ruden said. “They were very well written and it was, just once again very humbling. To know that I’ve made that much impact. And then the students have told me stories of what I’ve done for them.”

Van Ruden said he just goes to work and does his job. He said he did not think he was doing anything to deserve the recognition.

Van Ruden said one of the letters talks about how he nearly lost his parents in a car accident the day before his graduation in 1992 and how that led him to teach the Impact Teen Driving Class.

“I teach the class to every incoming group of freshmen,” Van Ruden said. “There’s a problem with teenage drinking and driving. I share my experience with them and let them know I nearly lost my parents.”

Van Ruden said a student shared in their letter that Van Ruden’s approach made an impact on the class.

“I never knew all these little things I do had such a big impact on my students,” Van Ruden said. “Because nobody ever really said anything.”