One of Aaron Henry’s life goals is to help others.

And he felt the way he could help people best was by becoming a lawyer.

“I always knew that was what I wanted to do,” Henry said, adding that he took a longer route by going in to the Air Force after High School.

Henry, 27, grew up in Jacksonville and went to college at Ashford University. He went into the Air Force in 2009 and worked in airfield management as a supervisor of airfield safety.

After finishing his undergraduate degree in the military, Henry went to Florida Coastal in 2015. He graduated with his juris doctor in only two years.

“I knew I wanted to help people, and being any kind of lawyer means you can help a lot of people,” Henry said.

But Henry said he felt particularly drawn to criminal law because of the importance it plays in our society.

“You can win or lose a lawsuit, and that’s just money,” he said. “But criminal law is someone’s life, and you have to have a certain level of maturity to handle that.”

Henry said he believes his time with the Air Force helped shape him into a person who is well-equipped to reasonably accept the challenges and responsibilities that come with criminal law.

Since he joined the State Attorney’s Office, Henry said, his enthusiasm for prosecution has been reinforced.

“I love being a prosecutor,” Henry said, smiling.

But when he’s not prosecuting, Henry loves spending time with his wife and two daughters.

He also enjoys watching television. He and his wife are currently watching are Chicago Fire, Chicago PD, and Grey’s Anatomy.

“I also love Law and Order,” Henry said, laughing.

Sports are also important to his family, as they have an in-house rivalry.

“I’m a huge FSU fan, and my wife is a UF fan,” he said.

As he looks ahead to his future with the SAO, Henry said, he has a couple career goals.

Since he has a background as a supervisor in the military, he hopes he’ll get the opportunity to prosecute in a leadership position.

But ultimately, he would like to work in special prosecutions.

“With my personality, it’s easy to get motivated for all crimes,” Henry said, “but I think you walk into work with a little more motivation when you’re dealing with those specific crimes.”