HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — Just in time for Mother's Day, a proud local mother is being put into the spotlight for her accomplishments.
After being a stay-at-home mom for seven years, Courtney Ratliff went and earned the title of deputy for the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office.
When she finally started thinking about returning to work, she was interested in a career in community service, according to the sheriff's office. But her husband had another idea. He suggested she would be a good fit as a law enforcement deputy.
After thinking it over, Ratliff applied to the sheriff's office and became a patrol deputy in 2020.
"I think Mother's Day is really a day that reminds me that a mom is not defined as one thing," Ratliff said in a statement. "There are so many different versions of what a mother is."
"For me, it's not only a reminder of the strong love I have for my family, it's a strong love that I have for myself in appreciating who I am, and the confidence that this career has given me," she added.
Two years later, she now works hard both as a deputy and a mom, raising her two young sons.
"Deputy Ratliff's story is just one example of the important role that mothers play in law enforcement," Sheriff Chad Chronister said in a statement. "Her motherly instincts, like patience and the ability to relate to others, are vital while on patrol."
"Her story is also a reminder that our deputies have families who wish for their safe return every day they go to work," the sheriff added.
