Pellissippi State Community College

“I’ve been at Pellissippi for five years doing dual credit and part time classes, and I started full time a little while ago. I’m one class away from finishing my associate in art with a concentration in theatre, and I’m also working on a second associate with a concentration in nutrition. I’m planning on being done in a year and a half, and I’m taking my time because I want to actually get the information and knowledge that I’m paying for. I know a lot of people just want to go to college and get in and out, and later they’ll say, ‘I didn’t really learn anything in college.’ Everything I learn here, I want to be able to talk in depth about it, and genuinely learn it. I try and find classes that will have the most future use for me, and Pellissippi’s really good at giving me options. It can be monotonous going to college for so long, but joining the juggling club almost made Pellissippi seem like home. It’s going to be really weird when I’m finally done.” -Debi #peopleofpellissippi

“My first semester here at Pellissippi is going pretty well. I’ve enjoyed my time learning how to get around and meeting new people, it’s like a new adventure. It’s definitely different from high school, and it’s actually not what I expected. The main difference is the freedom I have to choose my classes, having more responsibility, and taking education into my own hands. I’m excited about this freedom, but I’m also kind of terrified. I don’t necessarily have a parent banging me over the head telling me what to do to get things done, so managing my schedule to fit school is a challenge. But, I can tell that Pellissippi has provided me with some wonderful teachers, and I’ve been given the tools to accomplish what I need to succeed.” -Micah #peopleofpellissippi

The Student Rec Center had a grand re-opening after some renovations! Be sure to stop by and check it all out! #pellissippi #pellissippistate

It is tradition for faculty and staff to greet student and help them find their classes on the first few days of classes. We hope everyone has had a great first day and is ready to take on the school year!

Opening today: Eight Artists of the Vacuum Shop Studios. Stop by the Bagwell Center for Media and Art Gallery today through September 9! #pellissippi

“The C.O.P.E. event today is a poverty simulation. It is meant to allow the participants to get a glimpse of what it’s like for college students who are trying to work towards their academic goal in higher education, while they're also struggling with economic instability. I think my hope is that people will understand how difficult and how complex it can be to juggle college with poverty. I hope that it help people have an emotional connection to what that’s like. The counter behind me is counting down a twenty minute time period. That period is meant to represent one semester in a college year, in which the participants have a certain amount of tasks they must complete.” -Anne #peopleofpellissippi #knoxcope

“I’ve taught political science here in the distance learning classroom for about 10 years now. It's very convenient because we can reach students at any campus in an economical way, and still provide a good educational experience for them. I’m still preparing for the fall semester, and I’m also preparing for my upcoming presentation. I was excited and overwhelmed to be chosen as the keynote speaker in the upcoming convocation for the college’s common book, where I’ll be talking about the Electoral Collage and how it effects our democratic republic. Our common book is called The Illustrated Book of Bad Arguments, and I hope that what we get from this book and my presentation is how to identify when bad arguments are given during any political process, and knowing the difference between a straw man and real truth. I am absolutely excited for the coming semester. When fall starts, instead of looking for football, I’m looking for the bell to ring so I can get some college ruled notebook paper and get to it.” -Virgil #peopleofpellissippi

Robin: “I started here at Pellissippi while Korie was going to another school, and I said, ‘You need to come on over here, it’s a lot better!' She forced me to take a summer class with her, but we had fun. We always had a study partner, and we were really able to help each other." Korie: “I needed to take microbiology over the summer to graduate, so I talked mom into taking it with me. When I transferred here, it really made me more confident in my studies, and I was able to graduate Cum Laude. This fall, I’ll be starting at Maryville College to finish my bachelor’s in biology/pre-med. After that, I hope to go to a physician assistant school. Pellissippi made me realize that I can do this.” Robin: “I’ve been working around the healthcare field for 20 years, and I’m currently working for my nursing degree. For me, it’s all about giving back to the community and being able to help somebody, even if it’s just by holding their hand or giving a kind word or reassurance. It helps me to help somebody else, and going back to school has actually helped me with my lupus. Getting out to study and socialize has been such a blessing.” Korie: "I think mom has had a huge influence on my passion for the medical field. One memory that really stands out was when there was a car crash down the street from our house, and mom went to help. Pretty much all she could do was hold the lady’s hand until they could get her out of the car. Her parents later said that mom saved her life. That really stuck with me, and I’ve always thought that I would like to be able to help someone like that one day." #peopleofpellissippi

There are officially two weeks until classes start for the fall 2016 semester! There is still time to register, so make an appointment with your advisor today! #pellissippi #finalcountdown

“I’ve loved science since I was fifteen. My mom really wanted me to go to med school at first, but taking chemistry and physics classes here helped me realize that my passion is being in the lab working on the next innovation. I love the teamwork of working in a lab, and being able to work with chemicals, your knowledge, and your lab partners to create something new is really exciting to me. I am pursuing a biology associate degree at Pellissippi so I can have a biology background, and I will be majoring in chemical and biomolecular engineering after I transfer. After I get my bachelor’s, I plan to get a master’s degree in petroleum engineering. My long term goal with this is to go back to Haiti and invest my knowledge in sustainable energy so I can help provide 24/7 electricity for the whole country.” -Peter #peopleofpellissippi

Kate Jackson is our next #WhereAreTheyNowWednesday alumna. Kate, a graduate of 2003 with an Associate of Applied Science degree in Hospitality, is currently the Director of Event Services at the Knoxville Convention Center. “After my second year at the University of Oregon, my parents moved us all from Colorado to Tennessee. I was blessed, I would say, to be able to go to Pellissippi. It was a lot smaller. The teacher knew your name, instead of being just a number. I’ve always loved the restaurant industry and actually went to culinary school after I graduated from Pellissippi. Tom Gaddis, one of my favorite professors, came into a restaurant where I was the sales and bar manager and introduced me to the Director of Events for the Knoxville Convention Center. They were looking for an Event Manager at the time so I took a long shot and it’s just a completely different field than restaurants but I love every minute of it. Pellissippi really took the time and got to know me as a person and really wanted me to succeed in life.” #pellissippi

“Today’s new student orientation will be the first time I’ve done it as an NSO leader. I’m kind of nervous, but I have a great team behind me, and with their support I’ll do well. Being a leader is challenging, and you have to make sure that you’re a good example of what you’re teaching new students. You’ve got to have academic excellence, you have to carry yourself with high esteem, and you have to be a good representation for the school. For the past six years I’ve actually done some acting on the side, and I’ve been in some shows off and on. I’ve done two leading roles on TV shows, one called Fatal Attractions, and one in Homicide Hunters. Acting has helped me get used to being around tons of different people from every walk of life, and I think that really helps me work with NSO. Acting is just something I do on the side for fun and extra money, but I’m really focused on one day getting my PhD in weather and climatology. I would love to work on climate research in DC in the future, and I know it’s pretty ambitious, but one day I’d love to be Secretary of Energy.” -MonTre #peopleofpellissippi

“It’s been such a full week of phenomenal experiences of gratitude and delightful surprises, and of course, a lot of love. After 39 years working in education, I’m closing one chapter and opening up the next, which is to be with my 90 year old father as much as I possibly can. That’s my whole purpose of retiring; I don’t necessarily want to leave my family here at Pellissippi State, and I am sure not ready to leave East Tennessee, but my higher purpose is to be with him out in Colorado. My time here has been spent in countless blessings with staff, faculty, and students, and they’re the ones I will miss the most. Ever since I got to Pellissippi, I wanted to work in student conduct, and that finally came to fruition for me in 2011 when Dr. Ashford asked me to be the Dean of Students. Sometimes the conversation the Dean of Students has with a student can be pretty remarkable, and one of the most rewarding parts of my job has been when I see people come back after being away for a while, and seeing them really recognize the level of support and value that Pellissippi State has to offer. The main thing I’m looking forward to with my retirement is spending time with dad, and taking trips across the country to identify birds, a hobby that I’ve had since college. As Carol Burnett used to say as she closed out her show, ’Thanks for the memories.’ There are so many people here that care about the success of our students, and it has been an honor working here." -Mary #peopleofpellissippi

The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that the demand for cyber security jobs is expected to grow by 53% over the next two years. Want to learn more about Pellissippi State's cyber defense concentration? Visit www.pstcc.edu #pellissippi

“My major is business management, and I’m doing the transfer pathway right now with King University, where I’ll eventually be working toward my master’s in project management. I figured I would put the logistics and operations management training that I’ve had all my life with hospitality to good use, besides just working as a chef at a restaurant. I’ve been a licensed chef for 15 years now, and I’ve worked at Universal Studios, Disney World, SeaWorld, and I was a chef in the army. Working at those places gave me lots of experience in time management, which will be extremely beneficial further on down the line. I think my business classes here at Pellissippi are really challenging, which is a good thing for me. The challenge of working through your shortcomings and overcoming them is the most important thing about college. I know that math is not my strongest material, so that’s what I’m going to minor in, so I can improve on it. I feel it’s a skill that will be important in what I want to do one day, because numbers are power.” -Randy #peopleofpellissippi

Check out this awesome photo of the pond at Hardin Valley Campus! Photo credit: Amy Slack via Facebook

“I process scholarships for the foundation, and we have around 150 scholarships that we award to students each year. My favorite part about the job is helping students, and seeing them get excited because they have a little bit of extra money for books, food, electricity, or gas. I’ve had students come to me for help because their house burned down and they need books, or they have kids to support, or because they’re almost able to afford college and need just a little extra help. One story that really stands out to me was a young man that came in for help so he could earn a special education certificate. His young daughter had been paralyzed from the neck down in a car accident, and he wanted to be able to help her get a better education after seeing the difficulty she was going through. Stories like that make me realize that I have the best job at Pellissippi State.” -Gypsy For more information about our scholarships, please contact Gypsy Harrill at 865-694-6528 or [email protected]. #peopleofpellissippi