
Beeta Baghaevaji (standing) defended her bills at the TISL mock legislature. Photo courtesy of Susanne Cooper.
In the same room where Tennessee’s laws are debated and passed, the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga’s student delegation to the Tennessee Intercollegiate State Legislature (TISL) recently won Best Overall Delegation for the third time in five years.
TISL, an annual mock legislature of the Tennessee General Assembly, brings students from colleges and universities across the state to take on the roles of lawmakers, lobbyists and media representatives.
Beeta Baghaevaji, a junior political science major from Chattanooga, took home the Carlisle Award—TISL’s oldest and most prestigious award given to 10 student legislators.
TISL, Baghaevaji said, “really expands every lens of state legislature.”
“We function exactly the same way that our state legislature functions,” she explained, “and it’s actually such a great opportunity because we get to go to the Capitol and sit in the seats of actual House representatives.”
Participants are able to draft, debate and vote on legislation.
“You can really submit a bill about anything that you’re interested in that you think would improve the state of Tennessee,” she said.
Baghaevaji, who served as a voting member in the House of Representatives this year, discussed the importance of preparation.
“All of the work for bills is done before we get to the conference,” she said. “I had written a bill and sponsored two others, and my bill got passed into law during TISL.”
Other UTC award winners included Carolina Shank (Best Lobbying CEO) and Kaylee Victory (Outstanding Lobbyist). Carmen Witt was elected Senate Pro Tempore, a leadership position that makes her part of TISL’s legislative cabinet.

Carmen Witt
“The legislative cabinet is made up of the lieutenant governor, speaker of the House, speaker of the Senate, speaker pro tempore of the House and the governor,” Witt said. “We’re working to make sure that those bills get in the system and prep for the conference.”
Witt—also a junior political science major—is the incoming president of UTC’s TISL delegation after serving as vice president for the past two years.
She served as a senator during the 2024 conference, where she introduced a bill to create safe-use drug sites aimed at reducing overdoses and infections.
“At the last conference, I passed a bill that made this legal,” said Witt, who hails from Memphis. “When you call 911 for a drug overdose, EMTs don’t have to report it to the police the first time. It’s about recognizing that addiction is a public health issue, not a criminal one.”
Baghaevaji described the TISL experience as a way for students to build skills and prepare for future careers in public service.
“The opportunity to see how all the real work is done is unmatched,” Baghaevaji said. “It’s such a great way to learn and prepare for a real job.”
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Tennessee Intercollegiate State Legislature

Award recipients Carolina Shank (left), Kaylee Victory, Susanne Cooper and Beeta Baghaevaji. Photo courtesy of Susanne Cooper.