These spring 2022 graduates were ready to walk across the stage at Pellissippi State’s Commencement ceremonies last May. Our spring 2023 graduates have the same opportunity this Friday and Saturday.
Pellissippi State Community College will celebrate its 665 spring 2023 graduates in two Commencement ceremonies this week.
Ceremonies will be held at 4 p.m. Friday, May 5, and 10 a.m. Saturday, May 6, both in the Hardin Valley Campus Courtyard, 10915 Hardin Valley Road, Knoxville.
Pellissippi State does not have an indoor venue that is capable of seating all graduates and guests, but an inclement weather plan is available on the college’s website at www.pstcc.edu/graduation.
Spring 2023 graduates Casey Looper, Associate of Science in Communication Studies, and Reilly Holloman, Associate of Applied Science in Business Technology, will serve as Commencement speakers for their peers, while Pellissippi State alumni Tyler Boldin, Class of 2009, and Melissa Spangler, Class of 2012, will give closing remarks.
Both Commencement ceremonies will be livestreamed on the college’s YouTube channel to allow family and friends unable to attend in person an opportunity to celebrate with graduates.
Guests in need of accommodations should reach out in advance of the ceremonies to accommodations@pstcc.edu or call 865.694.6411 for assistance.
Emily Roy, cross country coach at Sweetwater High School for the past 17 years, has been hired as Pellissippi State’s first cross country and half marathon coach.
Sweetwater native Emily Roy has been running for 25 years.
This fall she gets to run Pellissippi State’s first cross country and half marathon teams, as the College embarks on its inaugural season of competitive athletics.
“I’ve been coaching high school cross country for 17 years, and I’ve always loved that,” said Roy, who will continue teaching full time at Sweetwater High School while serving as Pellissippi State’s head cross country and half marathon coach. “I’m excited to see what I can do with the kind of committed runners we will have at the college level.”
Roy found her knack for running as a middle schooler.
“I wasn’t good at any sports because I’m not very coordinated,” Roy explained, laughing. “But when I was manager of the junior high school girls’ basketball team, I would run with the team at the end of practices, and the coach told me, ‘The other girls are winded, and you aren’t.’”
Roy ran competitively for four years at Sweetwater High School and for four years at Lee University in Cleveland, Tennessee. She’s been coaching since she joined Sweetwater High School as a biology and physical science teacher 17 years ago.
In the meantime, Roy has continued running recreationally. While she enjoys 10-milers and half marathons, Roy said her best distance is 26.2 miles. She’s run 13 marathons so far.
“Boston is pretty cool because it’s so historic, but my best time was in New York,” she said. “I love the Knoxville marathon, too, and have run it several times.”
Roy will be coaching both men’s and women’s running teams for Pellissippi State. Women run 5K distances in collegiate cross country competitions while men run 8Ks. The half marathon is 13.1 miles.
“Coach Roy is going to make an excellent addition to our staff,” said Pellissippi State Athletics Director Brock Evans. “She holds a wealth of knowledge and experience to develop runners. Emily has proven that she knows what it takes to be successful on the course, and I believe she can instill that drive into our student athletes.”
Right now Roy is building her teams and would like to have 10 men and 10 women on her rosters this fall. They are allowed by National Junior College Athletic Association rules to start practicing Aug. 1, but Roy does not plan to “race them” until September.
“I’m excited to be here and help build this program from the ground up,” Roy said. “I know we will be able to compete with our fellow community colleges.”
Those who are interested in running for Pellissippi State this fall should fill out the “Recruit Me” interest form at the bottom of the College’s Athletics webpage, www.pstcc.edu/athletics.
Pellissippi State President L. Anthony Wise Jr., left, and Jeff Smith, interim lab director for Oak Ridge National Laboratory, sign a Memorandum of Understanding allowing the lab to partner with the college to offer a new Chemical Radiation Technology pathway for students starting in fall 2023.
It’s official: A partnership between Pellissippi State Community College and Oak Ridge National Laboratory is set to bring new career options to students and a stronger workforce to the national lab.
On May 31, representatives from the college and the U.S. Department of Energy’s ORNL signed a Memorandum of Understanding for the new Chemical Radiation Technology pathway, an option within Pellissippi State’s multidisciplinary Associate of Applied Science in General Technology degree. Three new classes — two taught by experienced ORNL scientists — have been added to the college’s existing curricula, and students who take them will be prepared to enter the workforce at ORNL and other national labs even without first completing a bachelor’s degree. In addition, they’ll visit the ORNL campus during their studies and will be well-positioned for internships and other opportunities.
Pellissippi State president L. Anthony Wise Jr. called the new pathway “a great example of the work that we want to do” by partnering with organizations that have significant impact in the region. He said around 80 percent of Pellissippi State students stay in the greater Knoxville area after graduation.
“We’ve got a curriculum for students to follow,” Wise said. “We’ve got opportunities for students to get to the lab, to see what work is like at the lab, to understand what it’s like to be a professional at the lab, and to dream about what it would be like to be a person who worked there.”
Kane Barker, dean of Natural and Behavioral Sciences at the college, said the new pathway was active within a year of the college meeting with the ORNL team, led by Clarice Phelps, a nuclear chemist in the Isotope Science and Engineering Directorate. Normally, it takes two years to institute such an option, he said, but students already can register for fall 2023 classes.
Among the Pellissippi State and Oak Ridge National Laboratory leaders attending the signing May 31, 2023, are (seated, from left) Pellissippi State President L. Anthony Wise Jr. and Interim Lab Director Jeff Smith and (standing, from left) Patty Weaver, vice president of External Affairs; Kane Barker, dean of Natural and Behavioral Sciences; Susan Hubbard, deputy director for Science and Technology; Clarice Phelps, S&T Staff (chemist), Isotope Science and Engineering Directorate; Cynthia Jenks, associate lab director, Physical Sciences Directorate; Jeremy Busby, associate lab director, Isotope Science and Engineering Directorate; Balendra Sutharshan, deputy for laboratory operations; Moody Altamimi, director, Office of Research Excellence; and Kellie Toon, vice president of Academic Affairs.
“Now that we’ve blazed this path, others can follow,” Barker said.
He said the new pathway includes elements of mechanical engineering, electrical engineering and applied chemistry, among other disciplines.
“We’re really combining everything a student needs to become a graduate and an employee,” he said.
Those employees will be crucial to ORNL’s success as it continues to increase and improve production of isotopes for medicine, industry, national security and scientific research, said Jeff Smith, interim lab director. For example, ORNL now produces multiple radioisotopes for cancer treatment clinical trials, and it’s the only place in the world some rare isotopes are produced.
“We have capabilities and assets that are unlike anyplace else in the United States,” Smith said, “and we have activity underway already that’s starting to build momentum.”
The new pathway will let local students take advantage of that, making a career at ORNL — and making a difference. He noted that Phelps was part of a team involved in discovering a new element on the periodic table: Element 117, named Tennessine.
“That’s the kind of opportunity that people who come to work for ORNL get,” Smith said. “They get a chance to do something that, in many cases, really makes an impact on the world.”
For more information on the Chemical Radiation Technology pathway, contact Dean Kane Barker at kmbarker1@pstcc.edu or 865-694-6695.
UT-Battelle manages ORNL for the Department of Energy’s Office of Science, the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States. The Office of Science is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information visit https://energy.gov/science.
Pellissippi State Community College is now one of only two higher education institutions nationwide that can provide in-person assessments for those seeking Haas certification as a Basic Mill Operator.
Pellissippi State Community College is now one of only two higher education institutions nationwide that can provide in-person assessments for those seeking Haas certification as a Basic Mill Operator, according to a Haas representative.
Haas Automation is the largest machine tool builder in the United States and one of the largest builders of CNC machines in the world. CNC stands for computer numerical control, and these machines play an important role in the manufacturing industry.
“The regional need for CNC machine operators has grown significantly,” said Andy Polnicki, director of Pellissippi State’s MegaLab. “This training and certification provide an opportunity for people in our region to be prepared to enter this field or get the promotion they are seeking.”
Four high school students from Knox and Blount counties became the first to become Haas certified at Pellissippi State on June 8.
The Haas Certification Program was developed after many discussions with Haas customers regarding their struggles with finding machine operators, according to Haas. Haas Automation listened to the customers’ issues and decided to help address the labor shortage issue by creating an online curriculum, after which students must pass an in-person, hands-on test.
“Haas is aware that watching a dozen or so videos will not make a student a machinist,” according to Haas materials. “However, we do believe that the videos and the course curriculum that we have created will give students the necessary skills and understanding to successfully become a Basic CNC Operator. Students will also gain exposure to some of the basics of machining that might otherwise take many months on the job.”
The first four students who earned their Haas certifications at Pellissippi State include high schoolers Carter Talley, Aziz Gharavi, Luke Gentry and Seth Kuykendall, from left.
Previously, those who completed the Haas Certification online curriculum had to take their in-person, hands-on test at a Haas factory outlet. Pellissippi State offering these assessments helps alleviate scheduling conflicts at the Knoxville Haas location.
“After completion of the online curriculum, the students can schedule a time to come to Pellissippi State’s Hardin Valley or Strawberry Plains campus and participate in a hands-on practical test,” Polnicki explained. “A passing grade on the hands-on practical test will yield a Haas Certificate Diploma.”
While Pellissippi State is starting by offering the assessment for Haas Basic Mill Operator, the college’s intention is to eventually offer a series of Haas certification programs, Polnicki added.
“Employers are seeking specific skill sets, and specialized certifications such as these can often provide job applicants with an edge over other applicants,” said Susan Webb-Curtis, Pellissippi State’s new executive director for Workforce and Community Development. “The Haas certification verifies that these candidates have completed training and have been able to demonstrate the entry-level skills needed to safely and efficiently operate basic milling machinery. Being able to offer hands-on assessments for the Haas Basic Mill Operator certification is a valuable service that Pellissippi State can now offer through our Haas certified instructors.”
Those interested in learning more about this opportunity should contact Andy Polnicki at aepolnicki@pstcc.edu.
Blizzards, fires and flooding – oh my! Young women ages 16 through 22 can learn to manage and lead through disasters at a free emergency management camp this July.
Pellissippi State Community College is one of four institutions nationwide that was chosen to host the HERricane Program in 2023. The HERricane Program is offered by the Institute for Diversity and Inclusion in Emergency Management (I-DIEM) to develop and elevate women as leaders in emergency management while raising awareness of the emergency management profession and its many interdisciplinary fields.
“Women make up 50% of public sector jobs, but only 20% of the leadership positions,” according to materials provided by I-DIEM. “The HERricane Program gives young women the skills they need to close this gap and become leaders in whatever careers they choose.”
Careers in emergency management go beyond law enforcement, firefighters and EMTs. Emergency management encompasses a variety of positions including, but not limited to
Emergency Management Planner/Manager
Crime Reduction Manager
Operations Manager
Safety Specialist
Public Health Nurse
Crisis Response Counselor
Disaster Recovery Manager
“Saving lives from disasters can be achieved through any career field: urban planning, policy, communication and media, meteorology, public health, CPR training, disaster preparedness, firefighting, assessing storm damage, disease prevention and more,” said Pellissippi State Assistant Professor Donna Trogdon, program coordinator for Criminal Justice, who applied to host the HERricane Program at the college. “This is about female empowerment.”
Pellissippi State will host the HERricane Program 8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. July 24-28 on its Magnolia Avenue Campus, 1610 E. Magnolia Ave., Knoxville, with site visits to places like Knoxville’s Public Safety Complex/Emergency Operations Center and guest speakers from various agencies.
Breakfast, lunch, T-shirts and transportation to and from site visits will be provided for all participants.
There is no cost for the program, but space is limited to 24 participants. Young women ages 16-22 should apply at www.pstcc.edu/herricane-camp/ by June 30.
Peyton Pettyjohn, Class of 2023, was Student Activities Board president during her time at Pellissippi State and encourages all students to “break out of their shells.”
Despite starting out in the tumultuous, mid-pandemic semester of fall 2021, Pellissippi State graduate Peyton Pettyjohn made connections and wore many hats within the College, including serving as president of the Student Activities Board, vice president of the Student Government Association and as a worker in Student Engagement and Leadership. Peyton was regularly seen at campus events and was always happy to encourage students by handing out giveaways, refreshments and college advice between classes.
Admittedly, Peyton had reservations about attending Pellissippi State back in 2021, but getting involved is what made her fall in love with college life. “It was an insane year, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything,” Peyton recalls. “I made a lot of lifelong friends and skills. It’s just been so cool to help lead and be a part of this family, to meet so many people and do so many different things.”
Now that Peyton has completed her Associate of Fine Arts degree, she advises future students to “break out of their shells” as soon as possible. “Honestly, it is kind of cheesy and I feel like everyone says it, but just get involved,” she suggests. “Just get into organizations. Get in the college clubs. And once you find your family, it can totally 180 the college experience for you.”
Peyton plans to transfer to a university to pursue a bachelor’s degree in graphic design, but admits she is sad to leave Pellissippi State. Things are certainly looking bright for this college grad who contributed so much to the Pellissippi State community, who quoted her favorite “Legally Blonde” character, Elle Woods, by saying, “We did it. Just…congratulations. All the fight, all the hard work has finally paid off. Just enjoy the moment and revel in it a little bit before you move on and just be proud of yourself, because you worked really hard!”
— Story and photo by Jessie Tipton, visual media coordinator for Pellissippi State
Mackensie Grohman, an LGPA teaching professional, has been hired as Pellissippi State’s first men’s golf coach
An LPGA teaching professional will lead Pellissippi State Community College’s first men’s golf team starting this fall.
Mackensie Grohman, originally from California, has been hired as head coach, tasked with building a men’s golf program from the ground up as the college embarks on its inaugural season of competitive athletics.
It’s an exciting opportunity for the former high school and college golfer, who learned the game from her father when she was 13.
“My high school was having a girls’ golf team for the first time ever, and I fell in love with it,” said Grohman, who has been golfing for 23 years. “I started practicing every day. I was super into it.”
Grohman was so into golf, in fact, that she moved to Alabama to attend Spring Hill College, which has a college-owned golf course on campus.
“That was a real appeal to me,” remembered Grohman, who served as captain of the women’s golf team. “It was a small school, and you lived on campus until your senior year, when you got to live in apartments on the 14th fairway of the golf course.”
Grohman’s passion for the game never waned. She knew she wanted to work in golf, and she made it happen – working as an assistant golf professional in Arizona and a golf shop manager/merchandiser in North Carolina before an opportunity to work for First Tee of Tennessee brought her to Knoxville in 2019.
As program director, Grohman hired and trained coaches and volunteers, developed new curriculum for each eight-week session and scheduled tournaments, among her many responsibilities. She also started the LGPA Teacher Education Program, completing Levels 1 and 2 in 2022.
For the past year, Grohman has served as the LGPA teaching instructor at Dead Horse Lake Golf Course in Knoxville, a job she will continue while serving Pellissippi State part time as a coach.
“I have had the opportunity to coach children ages 4-17 as well as adults of all ages, and I think being a college coach sounds like an awesome job,” said Grohman, who welcomed her first child, a daughter named Emilia, with her husband, Ron, in May. “We’ve already had a bunch of people interested, and there are a lot of good players out there.”
Grohman will be selecting eight men to play for Pellissippi State this fall from those who filled out Pellissippi State’s online interest form. She already has scheduled three tournaments for October and may add one in September. In the meantime, she’s also in the process of finding a home course where the team will practice.
“It’s very cool to be able to start a team,” Grohman said. “I have high hopes for the players.”
“Pellissippi State got a great coach in Mackensie!” said Pellissippi State Athletics Director Brock Evans. “We wanted to find a coach who could develop college golfers from a holistic standpoint. Mackensie’s past experiences as a college golfer, a director of First Tee and an LPGA teaching professional give her a unique set of skills to bring to our golf program. I am excited to see what she can bring to what we are building here at Pellissippi State.”
Pellissippi State will field only a men’s golf team in fall 2023, just as the College will field only a women’s volleyball team this inaugural season. Federal Title IX regulations require that women and men be provided equitable opportunities to participate in sports, but the sports do not need to be identical under the law.
Sarah Howell, center, celebrates being named Pellissippi State’s Outstanding Graduate for Music in spring 2023.
From as far back as Sarah Howell can remember, music has been a part of her life. “I think as soon as I had my first word, I was singing my first song,” she recalls. So when she started at Pellissippi State in the fall of 2020, majoring in music was the obvious choice.
Sarah had a little help in making her decision to come to Pellissippi State. Her mother graduated from here the same year that Sarah started. Encouraged by her mother’s glowing reviews of the school, instructors and the community, Pellissippi State sounded like the perfect place for her. “I ended up coming here and found out that the Music program was just absolutely amazing,” she says. “I find comfort and care and love in groups where we’re all driven towards one goal.”
Sarah has performed with Pellissippi State’s Variations ensemble, the Hardin Valley Thunder bluegrass band and various quartets and trios for College events, including the 2023 Student Awards Ceremony and a Women’s History Month concert. Her favorite achievement while at Pellissippi State was being named Outstanding Graduate in Music.
“It was just kind of a culmination of everything that I had worked on for the past three years,” she says. “It’s a big emotional reward. I got to look at a plaque and be like, ‘Holy crap, I did that.’”
Sarah is taking some well-deserved time off before she transfers to the University of Tennessee. In addition to solo gigs, she plans to audition for vocal groups like the Knoxville Choral Society and the Knoxville Opera Chorus.
Sarah’s parting advice for Pellissippi State students is simple: “Breathe. Everything will fall into place, and everything will figure itself out. And this, too, shall pass. Whether it be an emotional struggle, a financial struggle or a place where you find yourself not feeling your best and not wanting to face the day, it will pass,” she assures. “New hopes are born with each new sunrise.”
An abrupt end to an apprenticeship during the pandemic became the beginning of a new career for Channing Mendez.
Channing Mendez was working as an electrician before attending Pellissippi State, but saw his apprenticeship abruptly end during the pandemic. “I started wondering what to do with my life because I had worked all kinds of jobs and I wasn’t particularly happy with any of them,” he admits.
Channing apprehensively decided to give college a chance and was awarded two years’ worth of scholarships. He found the Video Production Technology program at Pellissippi State and decided to go all in to pursue his interest in videography and content creation. “I found a 30-second video of the VPT program on YouTube that showed off the equipment and studio and thought, ‘Yeah, that’s where I want to be,’” he explains.
Channing got involved right away as a work study in the VPT program’s “gear cage,” where he managed, maintained and cleaned equipment and assisted in providing photography and videography gear to students and faculty. He also had several opportunities to assist the VPT and Audio Production Engineering programs on shoots in the College’s Clayton Performing Arts Center as well as in venues such as The Bijou and the Tennessee Theatre.
Between classes, work study and side gigs, Channing also had the opportunity to participate in the SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference, where he and teammate Ian Johnson earned a Gold medal at the state level and brought home Silver nationally for Digital Cinema Production, a recognition he cites as his favorite as a student.
Now a college graduate, Channing believes the key to his success was the importance of networking. “Coming into Pellissippi State, trying your hardest, meeting other students, faculty and people in the industry and showing them what you have to offer really makes a difference and will have such a benefit on your long-lasting success,” he explains. “The people that you meet will remember you, so make those long-lasting connections.”
Channing is currently working at Knoxville company Streetcar Entertainment to produce original documentaries and reality shows for the streaming platform Tubi with a goal of eventually “branching out to movie sets in Atlanta or New York to work on an even bigger scale and chase the big leagues,” he says with a determined smile.
Channing’s word to the graduating class of ’23? “Congratulations! I know it’s been long and it’s been tough, but we’re here, we’ve made it and now it’s time for the next step in our lives.”
— Story and photo by Jessie Tipton, visual media coordinator for Pellissippi State
Susan Webb-Curtis, a longtime leader at Cleveland State Community College, has been named executive director of Workforce and Community Development at Pellissippi State.
Susan Webb-Curtis, a longtime leader in higher education, has joined Pellissippi State Community College as executive director of Workforce and Community Development, previously known as Business and Community Services.
This nonacademic side of the college encompasses everything from workforce training and registered apprenticeships to lifelong learning courses and event services. Webb-Curtis brings both breadth and depth of knowledge to the role after 34 years at Cleveland State Community College.
“I am excited to join Pellissippi State and a workforce development team that has been highly successful in building effective business and industry partnerships under the strong leadership of Teri Brahams, who recently retired after a long career with the college,” Webb-Curtis said. “Knox and Blount counties are experiencing tremendous growth and are well positioned in an extremely innovative technology corridor.”
Webb-Curtis always knew she wanted to work in higher education and earned her Master of Education in Career Counseling/College Student Personnel in 1988 from Stetson University, completing additional graduate coursework in Higher Education and Communication at the University of Tennessee.
“I knew this was the population I wanted to work with, and I’ve worn a lot of different hats over the years,” Webb-Curtis said.
Webb-Curtis spent 14 years as a student services administrator and 13 as an associate professor and director of Cooperative Education and Service-Learning, developing courses in Job Search Skills, Work Ethics, Workforce Development and more. Under her leadership, Cleveland State’s Service-Learning program was one of only 33 community colleges named to the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll for four consecutive years.
In 2015, Cleveland State named Webb-Curtis the Dean of Business and Advanced Technologies, where she assisted the Advanced Technologies faculty in redesigning 6 associate degrees and 11 certificates, resulting in a 136% student enrollment increase. In 2018, Webb-Curtis took over as Dean of Business and Healthcare, where she worked with Nursing faculty to rebuild the college’s Nursing program and boost its NCLEX passing rate to 97.8%. She also worked with Business faculty to create new associate degrees and certificates in Logistics and Supply Chain Management, Entrepreneurship, Cloud and Cyber Security.
It’s this background in academics that gives Webb-Curtis a unique perspective on workforce development, she said.
“Pellissippi State is at the table with our middle and high school, business, and industry partners to determine how we can best meet our community’s workforce training needs,” she said. “Our goal is to build pathways that allow individuals who complete workforce training courses and certifications to apply that training toward academic certificates and associate degrees at Pellissippi State.”
There’s a “huge market” for workforce training now, Webb-Curtis added, to get people the credentials and certifications they need to be successful in their careers. Workforce and Community Development is looking at the products they offer and listening to employers and other stakeholders about what kinds of training they need – and how to deliver those in this post-pandemic work environment.
“The demand for professional certifications and short-term workforce development training continues to grow, and our team is working to respond quickly to those training needs,” she said. “We are fortunate to have excellent training facilities throughout our service area and can provide training at any of our four campuses or through hybrid or online offerings as well.”
“Susan has a natural ability to connect with business and industry and community leaders. She has a great understanding of the complex challenges facing the workforce needs of today and has consistently developed innovative strategies to address these challenges during her years of experience in higher education,” said Patty Weaver, vice president of External Affairs for Pellissippi State. “She demonstrates remarkable leadership in the realm of workforce development, which I believe will have a significant impact on Pellissippi State’s reach and impact in meeting today’s workforce development challenges we face in our community.”
For more information on Pellissippi State’s Workforce and Community Development, visit www.pstcc.edu/bcs, call 865.539.7167 or email wcd@pstcc.edu.
