Pellissippi State Student Government Association President Erin Russell, student Peyton Pettyjohn, Student Engagement and Leadership Coordinator Delnita Evans and student Maria Ortiz Quinones, from left, set up and staff a voter registration table in the college’s Hardin Valley Campus Courtyard in September 2022.
Pellissippi State Community College is the only Tennessee community college that has been recognized by the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge as a 2022 ALL IN Most Engaged Campuses for College Student Voting.
The ALL IN Most Engaged Campuses for College Student Voting recognizes colleges and universities for making intentional efforts to increase student voter participation. Pellissippi State is one of five Tennessee colleges and universities recognized by ALL IN for
Participating in the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge;
Sharing 2020 NSLVE Reports with campus voting data with ALL IN;
Developing and submitting a 2022 democratic engagement action plan with ALL IN; and
The other Tennessee colleges that earned the distinction include Belmont University, East Tennessee State University, Tusculum University and University of Memphis.
“This well-deserved recognition is a testament to the great work of our Civic Engagement Committee organized through our Student Engagement and Leadership office,” said Assistant Vice President of Student Affairs/Dean of Students Travis Loveday. “Their efforts to plan, organize and implement civic engagement programming and voter registration drives has increased the number of students who are actively engaging in the democratic process. This award affirms we are on the right path, and we will certainly look to build upon these successes.”
The ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge empowers colleges and universities to achieve excellence in nonpartisan student democratic engagement. Campuses that join the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge complete a set of action items, with the support of ALL IN Challenge staff, to institutionalize nonpartisan civic learning, political engagement and voter participation on their campus.
“College student voter turnout has increased since 2016, and this increase has been driven by students,” said Jennifer Domagal-Goldman, executive director of the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge. “These students registered voters, served on their campus voting coalitions, spearheaded voter education efforts, advocated for campus polling locations and organized other voter engagement efforts to ensure their peers were confident and informed voters.”
Sawyer Radford, pictured here in the Teacher Education classroom in Pellissippi State’s Bill Haslam Center for Math and Science, will walk across the stage Friday as a Pellissippi State graduate. Commencement is set for 6 p.m. Dec. 9 at the Knoxville Convention Center.
Sawyer Radford of Maryville wanted nothing more than to go to college, but her family faced a lot of challenges when she was growing up.
Between the death of her father and the hospitalization of one of her sisters, Radford made the heartbreaking decision to withdraw from classes at Carson-Newman University and head back home to help. The 2016 William Blount High School graduate never meant for this to be a long pause, but an ongoing battle to obtain enough financial aid kept her out of college for the next 3 ½ years, despite being admitted to two different four-year universities.
In fall 2021, five years after she started college the first time, Radford enrolled in the Teacher Education program at Pellissippi State Community College. This week Radford will walk across the stage as a college graduate – and a Magna Cum Laude graduate, at that.
Pellissippi State’s Commencement Ceremony will be held at 6 p.m. Friday, Dec. 9, at the Knoxville Convention Center, 701 Henley Street. Radford is one of 209 students who graduated from Pellissippi State over the summer, when the college does not hold a Commencement Ceremony. Another 509 students will graduate from Pellissippi State this fall.
“It’s been amazing,” said Radford, who just completed her first semester at Tennessee Tech University with all As. “I have loved all my professors. I haven’t ever felt like I couldn’t ask a question or ask for help. They are smiling faces – friendly, encouraging – that really want you to be the best teacher you can be.”
Radford used the time she was unable to attend college to explore her career options. Thanks to church friends, Radford had the opportunity to ride in an ambulance and to shadow teachers, nurses and insurance professionals at their jobs.
“I volunteered in a third-grade classroom three days a week, and I fell in love with teaching,” Radford explained. “I got a full-time job as a preschool teacher, and I worked there for two years. When they put me with the 5-year-olds in the kindergarten readiness class, I loved it. They were awesome.”
Radford knew she wouldn’t be able to balance full-time preschool teaching with full-time college classes, so she took a job as nanny to seven children who range in age from 4 to 17. Still, she made time to serve as co-vice president of Pellissippi State’s chapter of the Student Tennessee Education Association.
“I loved the thought of having a voice in the Teacher Education program, to give input and plan events like our first-year teacher panel and a diversity panel,” Radford said. “I’m also a helper by nature. I love being able to make things happen.”
“Sawyer is a true go-getter!” said Assistant Professor Laura Lawson, Teacher Education program coordinator for Pellissippi State. “She puts a goal front and center and goes for it. It was so impressive to see her drive for leadership in our STEA Teacher Education Club. Not only did she drive down from Maryville to attend our meetings, but whenever she had to leave early for class, she dialed in on her phone so she didn’t miss a second of the planning.”
Radford’s background has given her a gift, Lawson added, that not all teachers have: the ability to see signs that children are struggling in their home lives so that she can intervene on their behalf.
“My childhood helped me know what to look for to keep as many kids as possible from falling through the cracks,” agreed Radford, who at one time lived with a supportive high school teacher. “I am able to be an advocate for kids.”
Radford started the 2+2 program with Tennessee Tech this fall. This program allows Teacher Education students to finish their bachelor’s degrees through the four-year university by taking classes on Pellissippi State’s Hardin Valley Campus.
“I already loved Tennessee Tech’s education program, but the 2+2 program meant I didn’t have to uproot and move to Cookeville,” noted Radford, who now has her own place.
Although Radford’s college journey has not looked like what she planned, she offers advice to those who also have a longer road ahead of them than they thought.
“The biggest thing to remember is that society’s agenda is not your agenda,” Radford stressed. “It was hard for me because I felt like I needed to graduate with my bachelor’s in 2020, and I’m just now getting my associate degree. But there is no way you can compare your story to anyone else’s story. My motto is ‘If it’s important to you, you can do it. You will get it done.’”
Mariana Milano-Benitez, a Venezuelan-born Pellissippi State graduate who moved to the United States five years ago with her family, will attend the University of Tennessee this spring. She hopes to one day earn a Ph.D., work in energy and materials, and possibly teach at a university.
To celebrate our class of fall 2022, we will be releasing a series of graduate spotlights to share the accomplishments of our amazing students. The first in this series features Mariana Milano-Benitez, a Venezuelan-born student who moved to the United States five years ago with her family so they could have more opportunities.
Coming to Pellissippi State was Mariana’s first choice, as it was affordable and gave her a chance to get acquainted with the culture and the language.
“Since the classes are smaller, I thought it would be less overwhelming, and I got to interact more with the professors and my classmates,” Mariana explains. “Pellissippi State has helped me grow in math and science, which are core requirements for my future career, and has made me more confident in my English and my people skills, too, because of my communication classes. I’ve met a lot of professors who have pushed me a lot and motivated me to keep going all the way.”
Mariana has had a whole team supporting her, including her aunt Marisol Benitez-Ramirez, Pellissippi State’s director of Institutional Research, who always had an office door open to make sure Mariana never felt alone as a new student; folks she tutored alongside in the Academic Support Center, including Jan Sharp and Beth Scott, who helped draw out Mariana’s natural-born skills as a teacher; and Mariana’s chemistry professor, Stephanie Morris, who wrote a letter of recommendation that secured Mariana’s internship at the Ames National Laboratory in Iowa this past summer, where Mariana got to work with quantum materials and ultra-pure chemicals in a laboratory setting.
Mariana’s next step will be attending the University of Tennessee in the spring, and she hopes to one day earn a Ph.D., work in energy and materials, and possibly teach at a university.
“My time at Pellissippi State has been very fun, very mind-opening, and I’ve learned a lot about myself and other people,” Mariana says. “It’s been a great opportunity to be here.”
Congratulations, Mariana!
— Story and photo by Jessie Tipton, visual media coordinator for Pellissippi State
Brandon Ball is a U.S. Army veteran who is parlaying his experience as a medic in the military into a career in health care.
Brandon Ball, a veteran of the U.S. Army, enrolled in college right out of high school, but put his academic journey on hold to help financially support his family after his mother was diagnosed with breast cancer.
After serving in the military for four years, Brandon applied to Pellissippi State after hearing about the good experience that his girlfriend, Kailea Davis, and her mother, Sandra Davis-Bullis, had during their time as students. “We were sitting in a restaurant eating, and Kailea was like, ‘Hey, let’s just apply now!’” Brandon remembers. “She helped me do the application process, and I was here taking classes soon after.” With his history as a medic in the Army, Brandon attended Pellissippi State planning to enter the medical field.
Returning to college caused Brandon hesitation at first, but his Pellissippi State team helped him each step of the way. “Coming back as a nontraditional student can be intimidating, but having my support system has been bar none — they’ve really helped so much,” Brandon says. Brandon was welcomed to Pellissippi State by former financial aid coordinator Sharon Roberts, who helped him get acclimated with fellow veteran students during his first semester, and Kelsy Fritts served as his advisor that put him on the pathway to get where he needed to go as fast as possible.
Brandon also joined Pellissippi State’s Student Employment Project to help him stay financially stable as a student, working at the Magnolia Avenue and Division Street campuses. “Terry Lund and Dean (Esther) Dyer at Division Street are amazing, Ms. Patti (Rogers) and Dean (Stella) Bridgeman at Magnolia Avenue have been so great, and working with those types of people really pushed me towards success,” Brandon says. He also had strong faculty support from instructors such as Reza Basiri, associate professor of Mathematics, “who has always pushed me and checked on my grades since my very first semester, and Reza was also at commencement to watch me graduate,” Brandon notes.
Originally, Brandon’s plan was to become a physician assistant after observing their work in the Army, but he has since set his plans higher. “Kailea was like, ‘You’re doing really awesome, your grades are really good, so why not just go for an MD and be a full-fledged doctor?’” Brandon explains. “That’s what I’ve decided to do. I’m going to stay focused, I’m going to go to UT and apply for med school, and my goal is to become a family medicine doctor. Helping someone’s quality of life is really important to me.”
Before he crossed the stage at Pellissippi State’s fall Commencement Ceremony last week, Brandon offered his advice to his fellow nontraditional students: “Don’t be afraid, don’t give up, and it’s never too late. Set your mind to something, and you can accomplish anything.”
Congratulations, Brandon!
— Story and photo by Jessie Tipton, visual media coordinator for Pellissippi State
“Even if you are different, even if you don’t speak English, you will belong,” says Pellissippi State graduate Fatima Alhaj Salameh, who moved to the United States in 2019.
Fatima Alhaj Salameh didn’t know anyone in the United States upon arriving in 2019, but she knew she had a strong desire to go to college. “Education is what makes me feel the most happy and most alive, and I always want to develop myself and keep going,” Fatima explains.
“I was by myself in this country and didn’t know where to start,” Fatima recalls. “I found Pellissippi State on Google, so I took an Uber to visit. Everyone I spoke to here was so helpful, even though I didn’t speak English very well at the time.” Fatima credits Patricia Higgins, former International Admissions specialist, and Sarah Davis, manager of Recruitment Services, for getting her prepared. “They gave me such a clear idea of what I needed to do to get started,” she says.
When the pandemic hit, Student Engagement and Leadership (SEAL) helped Fatima overcome her feelings of loneliness and isolation. “I was freaking out and completely depressed,” Fatima remembers. “I’m by myself, COVID-19 has shut everything down, so I stayed in my home for nearly two years alone.” Getting a job to work with students and working with former SEAL Director Matt Spraker, SEAL Administrative Assistant Monica Styles and SEAL Coordinator Delnita Evans gave Fatima a sense of belonging. “Monica always gives 100% and does her best for you, and Delnita lives for helping students and makes every event fun for them,” Fatima beams.
Fatima plans to go to UT and finish her pre-med requirements, then to dental school. “I want to travel the world and work as a pediatric dentist to help children with their teeth,” Fatima explains. “Some children in poorer countries do not have the smile they should have. I want to do what I can for my community, for the poor and for refugees. I’m going to work so hard to make our community healthy, and I want to be a role model to make all women in our country proud!”
As an official college graduate, Fatima offers this feedback to prospective international students: “The freedom and opportunity we have at this college is amazing. They work so hard to make you feel like you have a part here. Even if you are different, even if you don’t speak English, you will belong. We say here at Pellissippi State to ‘Start Strong, Stay Strong, Finish Strong.’ That is what they do. You are never just a number here; you are special!”
Congratulations, Fatima!
— Story and photo by Jessie Tipton, visual media coordinator for Pellissippi State
Keegan Rouland comes from a long line of college graduates, so it was important for him to live up to that legacy. His first step toward that goal was to enroll at Pellissippi State. Fortunately, he already had family on his side. His stepfather is a Pellissippi State graduate and his grandmother is an instructor in the Nursing department, so the choice was obvious.
Keegan had a bit of a rough time when he started, though. “I thought it would be a lot easier than it actually was. And I was sort of falling behind,” he remembers. “I started failing my classes. I didn’t show up to a few of them.” He had a long talk with his mother, who shared that she had similar struggles in college. She encouraged him not to give up, to just keep at it. He took that encouragement to heart and decided to push himself.
With that push, Keegan dedicated himself to his Pellissippi State education. And it worked. He showed up, studied hard and started passing exams and classes. It wasn’t just academics, though. He involved himself in other aspects of campus life. He got a job at the Stay Strong Success Center and played in weekly pickup basketball games at the Student Rec Center. “I got to meet so many kinds of new people,” he says. “I met some new friends. It was really great.”
With support from his team of family, new friends and the folks in the Stay Strong Success Center, Keegan now has an Associate of Science degree in Media Technologies: Design for Web and Print. But he’s not done. He plans to transfer to the University of Tennessee to major in graphic design and minor in advertising in hopes of one day turning his passion for animation into a career at Disney or Pixar.
“Pellissippi State has been an eye opener for me,” Keegan says. “It’s an experience I wouldn’t want to trade in for anything, no matter how hard it was just to get to this moment. It’s amazing.”
— Interview and photo by Jessie Tipton, visual media coordinator for Pellissippi State; story by Sam Comer, writer for Pellissippi State
Pellissippi State opened a walk-in food pantry this semester to serve students and employees who are experiencing food insecurity.
Pellissippi State Community College collected more items for its food pantry than any other community college or technical college in Tennessee for the fourth consecutive year.
Pellissippi State collected the equivalent of 47,788 items in the Tennessee Board of Regents Annual Food Drive Challenge that ended this month. This almost doubled the 24,826 items collected by Pellissippi State last year.
Each dollar donated counted for two food items in the competition, and Pellissippi State raised $20,110.89 for the Pellissippi Pantry through its Giving Tuesday campaign and donors who provided matching funds.
“The results of this effort are such an inspiration,” said Anna Graham, director of Annual Giving and Scholarships for Pellissippi State. “In especially challenging times for so many, the generosity of our own Pellissippi State family, joining together with community partners, to raise both funds and canned food items to meet the needs of those who utilize the Pellissippi Pantry is tremendous! We are grateful and thankful for this support that will make a deep impact on our ability to serve our students.”
TBR’s colleges of applied technology and community colleges collected a total of 148,578 items for campus food pantries as well as local organizations, programs and food banks in their communities.
The top institutions, which were grouped by student headcount, include:
Tier 1 TCAT: Jacksboro = 3,414 items
Tier 2 TCAT: Northwest = 3,826 items
Tier 3 TCAT: Dickson = 19,407 items
Tier 1 community college: Roane State = 16,731 items
Tier 2 community college: Pellissippi State = 47,788 items
In addition to the food items and monetary donations collected, Pellissippi State collected 228 toiletry and baby care items. All items stay right here in the college’s Pellissippi Pantry, which serves students and employees who are facing food insecurity.
“Pellissippi State may have won this friendly competition, but the real winners are our students and employees who may find themselves in need of our Pantry services,” said Travis Loveday, assistant vice president for Student Affairs and dean of students for Pellissippi State. “As a result of our community support, we are better able to meet this basic need so students and employees can stay focused on their long-term success.”
Pellissippi Pantry participants are allocated points determined by their household size and can use those points to choose items that work best for themselves and their families.
The Pellissippi Pantry moved this semester into a new, larger space that allows participants to choose their own items from the shelves, rather than having food pre-packed for them by volunteers. Participants are assigned points based on their household size and can choose how to use those points on the items available in the new walk-in pantry.
“The Pantry expansion has allowed Pellissippi State additional space to collect and distribute food and self-care items,” said Aneisa Rolen, executive director of the Pellissippi State Foundation. “We celebrate this TBR food drive win with the merchandise team at the Pilot Company and Akima volunteers. With their ongoing support, the college will allocate these resources to all five campuses.”
As a longtime employee of the Tennessee Department of Transportation, Tina King completed her college degree in management to help her continue climbing the ladder at work
After sending her daughter off to college in 2014, Tina King started having her own aspirations to return to school.
“Why not? I didn’t get to finish college when I first started in 1993, so I think I’ll give it a shot,” Tina recalls.
A longtime employee of the Tennessee Department of Transportation, Tina wanted to take classes and earn a degree that could help her advance in her job.
“Pellissippi State has really helped me keep up with promotions at work, and going for a degree has shown management that I’m determined and willing to better myself,” Tina explains. “I’ve moved up the ladder quite a bit.”
During her time as a college student, Tina has actively tried to recruit other TDOT employees to help them climb the ladder as well.
“When I started out at TDOT in maintenance, I was boots-on-the-ground, just a grunt, so to speak,” Tina says. “To get to higher places in TDOT, you really need an education. When I notice that my coworkers want to do more than just shovel asphalt, I push them to go to Pellissippi State.”
Tina has had a great support system during her eight-year tenure at Pellissippi State, including former Relationships Manager Celeste Evans, who helped Tina get started back to college, and Civil Engineering Technology Professor Sami Ghezawi, who worked with Tina to make sure she got credits and certifications for her work at TDOT.
“Tina is a leader here at TDOT and has been a true inspiration for our folks here who have been hesitant to re-enter the classroom after being away from school for a number of years,” says TDOT Safety Manager Duane Manning. “She is a very high-performer and a true inspiration for anyone who has the privilege of working around her or making her acquaintance — a true testament of ‘never-quit’ and perseverance.”
Tina plans to one day pursue a bachelor’s degree in geotechnical engineering.
“I just want to play in the dirt,” Tina says with a laugh. “We have a lot of rockslides in this area, so that degree would be a great opportunity to help with that.”
Tina wrapped up eight years of hard work and commitment Dec. 9 by walking across the Commencement Ceremony stage to get her Associate of Applied Science in Civil and Construction Engineering Technology.
“If I can do it, anybody can do it,” insists Tina, with a teary-eyed smile. “It might have taken me eight years, but there are new, quicker paths available now. Pellissippi State is family. They really do want to see you succeed, and they will work with you in any way possible to make sure you do.”
Congratulations, Tina!
— Story and photo by Jessie Tipton, visual media coordinator for Pellissippi State
Evaughn Barnett moved from his home country of Jamaica to attend Pellissippi State.
Evaughn Barnett was going to college in his home country of Jamaica, “but the future wasn’t looking too bright,” he says. The opportunity wasn’t there like it is in the United States, Evaughn explains, so he wanted to make a move. He contacted his godfather in Knoxville for some guidance.
After an extensive search online, Evaughn decided on Pellissippi State.
“There was something that stood out,” he remembers. “When I looked at the programs, I was like, ‘Yeah, that’s actually what I’m into.’”
With the help of former International Admissions specialist Patricia Higgins, Evaughn got his visa and all necessary documents in just a few weeks. By spring 2020, he was enrolled at Pellissippi State studying business.
“It’s like a miracle that happened,” Evaughn says.
The cultural differences between Jamaica and Knoxville made for a tremendous learning curve in the beginning, however.
“I didn’t know anyone, didn’t have anyone to talk to, didn’t know what was normal,” Evaughn recalls.
But after immersing himself in campus life, Evaughn learned to navigate both his classwork and American culture.
With support from Higgins as well as Access & Diversity Specialist Nicole Cain, Assistant Professor Deborah Szwarc, Associate Professor Allison Stein, Start Strong Center Director Berry Shumpert III, Pellissippi State’s Black Men of Merit and others, Evaughn was able to get everything in place for graduation Dec. 9.
Degree in hand, he plans to stay in Knoxville, at least for a little while. Evaughn is transferring to the University of Tennessee this spring to study business. He’s still deciding what he wants to do after graduation, but he knows that he wants to one day start his own business.
“Being here has opened up my mind to new opportunities … to thinking out of the box,” Evaughn says. “Pellissippi State is a great starter for someone not from here.”
Congratulations, Evaughn!
— Interview and photo by Jessie Tipton, visual media coordinator for Pellissippi State; story by Sam Comer, writer for Pellissippi State
Nicki Spurling graduated from Pellissippi State in December 2022 despite a breast cancer diagnosis in September 2021 that threatened to put her education on the back burner.
Nicki Spurling transferred her job from Georgia to Tennessee to be with her husband. After a few years, however, she felt she’d been putting her education on the back burner for too long, and it was time to go back to school.
“I really want to do it,” she told her husband, who took the initiative and applied to Pellissippi State for her. He knew exactly what she wanted in a school: classes she could take on her own time that also were small and personable. Pellissippi State was the perfect fit.
At first, Nicki didn’t think a degree in Business with a concentration in Management was something she really needed for her job selling commercial playgrounds. “I was already doing that,” she explains. But it wasn’t long before she had a whole new mindset about her career.
After a Project Management class with Assistant Professor Brandi Funk, it dawned on Nicki: “I’m not just a sales rep; I’m a project manager,” she says. “I sell them, I help design them, I coordinate the installs … the whole works, from start to finish. I really opened up my mind to my own job that I’ve been doing already for two years.”
Juggling school, family and a full-time job would be enough for pretty much anyone, but in September 2021, a breast cancer diagnosis threatened to put Nicki’s education on the back burner once again. But with the support of Funk, Associate Professor Amy Caponetti and Business and Computer Technology Dean Michael Wolfe, Nicki was able to stay in school.
“They really worked with me with my schedule,” she says. “Dr. Caponetti was there at the drop with anything that I needed. She was just an email or a message away.”
Now, with the support from Pellissippi State and her family, Nicki is the first person in her family to earn a college degree. She took six classes in fall 2022 to make sure she crossed the Commencement Ceremony stage in December because she didn’t want to overshadow her son, who graduates from high school in May.
“I didn’t want my graduation to be in the same month, so I took six classes this semester while working full time and raising two teenagers to make it happen,” Nicki says.
“Pellissippi State helped lift my drive and my desire because I wanted to be successful, I wanted to succeed,” she adds. “Pellissippi State showed me the pathway of how to get there.”
— Interview and photo by Jessie Tipton, visual media coordinator for Pellissippi State; story by Sam Comer, writer for Pellissippi State
