Chancellor Lori Bruce visited students at Walker Valley High School and Bradley Central High School. Photo by Angela Foster.
The University of Tennessee System’s “Find Your Future” high school tour visited Southeast Tennessee on Thursday, Sept. 25, delivering a message about the value of higher education to more than 1,000 seniors and juniors at two Bradley County schools.
UT System President Randy Boyd and University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Chancellor Lori Bruce visited Walker Valley High School and Bradley Central High School as part of a statewide initiative to connect directly with students and families about opportunities across UT’s campuses.
At Walker Valley, about 600 students filled the school auditorium to hear from Boyd and Bruce. A short time later, more than 400 students gathered in Bradley Central’s auditorium for the second stop of the day.
Boyd told students that his senior year in high school brought excitement but also anxiety as he wrestled with three questions: “Should I go to college? Can I afford to go? Where should I go?”
“I can remember my last year in high school being very nervous, very anxious, very scared, because I knew this was the year I was going to be making some decisions that were going to affect the rest of my life,” Boyd said at Bradley Central. “So here’s three big questions that I was asking myself … three questions that probably each of you should be asking yourself.”
Boyd spoke about the importance of pursuing education beyond high school, citing Tennessee’s workforce statistics.
“In the state of Tennessee over the last 10 years, there are 90,000 fewer jobs that require just a high school degree,” he said. “However, if you go on to a four-year school and get a bachelor’s degree or more, there have been 363,000 more jobs created over the last 10 years that require a four-year degree.”
Boyd also pointed to the financial benefits of a degree.
“If you go on to a four-year school, get a bachelor’s degree or more, on average you’re going to make $1.5 million more in your lifetime,” he said.
To help students access those opportunities, he highlighted UT Promise, which provides free tuition and fees for Tennesseans from households earning less than $75,000 a year.
“That’s two out of every three of you in this room,” Boyd told the students.
UT System President Randy Boyd told students and families about the benefits of higher education.
Bruce encouraged students to consider UTC as an option that offers both a complete University experience and proximity to their hometowns. Walker Valley is approximately 40 miles from UTC, while Bradley Central is 30 miles away.
“I ended up going to a university about 45 minutes from my hometown,” Bruce said. “Looking back, that was a perfect choice because it was away, but not too far away. I got to live on my own, live on campus and then live in an apartment when I was an upperclassman. But if I needed a home-cooked meal, I could go home and get that.
“I think for you guys, UT Chattanooga would be that same kind of experience,” she said. “It’s big enough to matter, but small enough to care.”
She noted that more than half of UTC students graduate debt-free and described the campus as a place where students can find everything they need, all while being just minutes from outdoor recreation.
“UT Chattanooga’s like a little oasis, a little bubble in downtown Chattanooga, and you have everything you need on campus,” Bruce said. “But if you want to venture off campus, then you get to explore Chattanooga and the restaurants and all that Chattanooga has to offer.
“And then 10 to 15 minutes off campus, you can be out on hiking trails, be on a paddleboard or kayaking. To me, it’s the perfect combination.”
Both programs included an appearance by UTC alum Evan Scannapiego, who graduated in May with a bachelor’s degree in mechatronics engineering technology. The Cleveland, Tennessee, native spoke about his experiences as a Moc and how his time at UTC helped prepare him for life after graduation.
“My advisors just took me under their wing and really pointed and directed me in the direction I needed to go,” Scannapiego told the students. “It was really cool because what I ended up finding was what I do now. They helped me learn where I wanted to go. It ended up being this thing called mechatronics.”
The “Find Your Future” tour is part of Boyd’s statewide effort to meet students where they are—in their own schools—and highlight the range of academic programs, support services and scholarship opportunities available within the UT System.
The Bradley County stops were among many scheduled this fall as UT leaders continue traveling the state with a message that a UT degree opens doors to careers, lifelong skills and community impact.
UTC alum Evan Scannapiego shared his experiences as a Moc.
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Photo gallery by Angela Foster
