Author: Grayson Marshall

Knoxville has given Mariana Diaz Lopez a lot of opportunities. 

Now the former NCAA Division II soccer player is in a position to “give back” to the community she says has always embraced her. 

Diaz, who was a five-year women’s soccer captain at Lincoln Memorial University, has been hired as Pellissippi State Community College’s first-ever head women’s soccer coach. The college announced in November that it is adding competitive athletics starting in fall 2023, after it was accepted into the National Junior College Athletic Association in October. 

“I have a love for developing players by enhancing the fundamentals of the game,” said Diaz, who most recently served as an assistant women’s soccer coach at LMU and will graduate with her Master of Business Administration in May. “I bring experience in creating training plans. I believe that challenging and improving single players will ultimately lead to team success.” 

Diaz was born in Mexico, but grew up in Knoxville and graduated from Halls High School in 2017. Although she has been playing soccer “ever since I can remember” and played two years for her high school team, it was her mentor Dave Goldschmidt and her time at his Inter Futbol Academy that helped Diaz turn soccer into her ticket to college. 

“My mom is a single mom, so I didn’t have a father figure,” Diaz explained. “When I came to Dave at IFA at 15, he made me into a college athlete. He taught me that you don’t have to spend thousands of dollars to become a good soccer player, and I want to create that environment here.” 

That’s one of the things that drew Diaz to the coaching position at Pellissippi State: the opportunity to reach out to local girls who want to continue playing soccer after high school but aren’t ready to jump straight to a four-year university. 

“Pellissippi State can help students academically and financially,” Diaz said. “Our in-state students can take advantage of Tennessee Promise, which saves so much money on your first two years of college, and we can focus on developing our student-athletes for their next step, wherever they want to go. Being able to provide an experience that gives players tools that go beyond the pitch will be the key to building a successful program.” 

Diaz plans to add some international players to her roster as well to diversify the team. 

“I was always around international students as a soccer player at LMU and having international teammates helped give me a global perspective,” she said. 

“Mariana is an exciting coach with experience in NCAA Division II Soccer,” said Pellissippi State Athletics Director Brock Evans. “She will bring a passionate and distinctive brand of soccer to the pitch.  Mariana has a great proficiency in coaching the technical side of the game, and she will be able to develop a high-level technical team with a drive to compete at the highest level.” 

Diaz also will be serving Pellissippi State as a student success coordinator in the college’s Stay Strong Success Center, which helps students navigate the many transitions and challenges they may encounter during their college experience. She will focus on areas such as academic planning, study skills and cultivating a sense of belonging. 

“This will be a big piece of connecting athletes to academics and building a Panther Nation,” she said. 

Diaz already has 18 games scheduled for fall 2023 – 10 in the National Junior College Athletic Association, two against other two-year schools and six against four-year schools, she said – and now is recruiting student athletes. Those who are interested in playing soccer for Pellissippi State should fill out the interest form on the College’s Athletics webpage, www.pstcc.edu/athletics, or email Diaz at mvdiazlopez@pstcc.edu to find out more about an identification camp she is planning for Sunday, May 21. 

“I’m looking for kids with great character who want to embrace the opportunity to start at Pellissippi State, who see this as a time of growth and are ready to work hard,” Diaz said. “We’re going to give them the development they can’t get anywhere else.” 

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. 

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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.  

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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.

“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, 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.” 

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. 

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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 

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.

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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.”

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