The fourth annual Power C Tour kicked off on Wednesday, Sept. 17, with a visit to the Franklin (Tennessee) Cool Springs Marriott. Photo by Philip Sparn.
With the help of hands-on demonstrations, one-on-one conversations and surprise scholarships, high school students got a closer look at campus life at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.
On Wednesday, Sept. 17, UTC kicked off its annual Power C Tour with a visit to the Nashville area, giving local students the opportunity to discover if UTC is their next home.
The event, held at the Franklin (Tennessee) Marriott Cool Springs, provided students and family members a time to learn about the University and all it has to offer, including academic programs, admissions, housing, financial aid and campus life.
The future college students heard from Chancellor Lori Bruce and had the chance to win UTC merchandise and scholarships.
Benji Segraves, a senior at Valor College Prep in Nashville, said all of his questions were answered at the financial aid table—one of the busiest areas at the event.
“UTC is really good and it’s affordable,” he said. “I really want to get into the school.”
Initially wanting to focus on engineering, Segraves intends to enter the nursing program at UTC. He remains interested in engineering and was “inspired” by the robot dog brought by the UTC College of Engineering and Computer Science.
He said he was excited by the idea of being close to nature on campus.
“My brother goes to UTC and he found new friends and everything,” said Segraves, whose brother, Philip, is a senior electrical engineering major. “I know the community there is good.
“It’s outdoors-based sometimes and I want to lean toward that. I was initially struck by the outdoorsy stuff to do. It shows how many other people are looking at that, too.”
High school student Benji Segraves meets a UTC robot dog at the Power C Tour event. Photo by Carter Graham.
One of the scholarship winners was Eleanor Jordan, a native of Fairview, Tennessee, who attended with her mother, Whitney. They also spent quality time at the financial aid table.
“The financial table was probably our growing moment tonight,” Whitney Jordan said. “Learning there are more scholarships internally that are available than what we thought was nice.”
In addition to learning more about UTC, the younger Jordan walked away from the event with a $1,000 scholarship after her name was pulled during a drawing.
“I looked around to see if anyone else was going to walk up there before I really realized it was me,” Jordan said.
Like many of the students, this was the first Power C Tour stop Bruce—who became UTC’s 19th leader on June 30—had attended. The chancellor was able to relate to the experience of being a new person in the city or on campus, which she mentioned during her welcome remarks.
“I’m new,” Bruce explained. “I’ve been at the University for 10 weeks. I can say firsthand what my experience has been at UT Chattanooga: It has been warm, welcoming, supportive and student-focused. I have been so proud of what I have seen as a new chancellor.”
Charlie Adkins, currently a high school senior at Summertown (Tennessee) High School, said she learned more about the UTC nursing program and housing options.
“I like the history and how the town’s set up,” she said. “It’s small, but it’s not too small.”
Her dad, Chase Adkins, mentioned his love for the area.
“We love Chattanooga,” he said. “With my daughter, that’s one thing I told her: ‘I think you’ll love that town.’ Like the chancellor said, it’s so compact downtown but it’s not a huge city either. It just seems like a win-win.”
Vice Chancellor of Enrollment Management and Student Affairs Artanya Wesley said her favorite part of these events is seeing families find out UTC is the place for them.
“It’s their energy and just their excitement to learn more about UTC,” Wesley said. “Some of them have already done their research. They’ve already applied and are just trying to go around and answer the questions that they have.
“We do what’s called ‘Moc Minute,’ where we can admit students on the spot and see the joy of not only the students but the parents who are proud.”
She added that these events provide a chance for students to start to find their place on campus.
“I believe that our students who come to this event really get the opportunity to understand and know how they will be supported,” Wesley said. “They can accomplish their dreams here. They can seek out who they are and figure out exactly what area, field or subject matter they want to study.”
The Power C Tour continues this fall with stops in Memphis on Oct. 2, Knoxville on Nov. 4 and Chattanooga on Nov. 12. Wesley explained these outreach events provide a way for students and families to learn more about UTC without leaving their local areas.
“We need to go to them and make sure that they have the opportunity to know that we really want them to come to our University,” she said. “We’re invested in you, so we’re going to come to you to encourage you.”
Learn more
Photos by Philip Sparn
High school senior Eleanor Jordan won a $1,000 scholarship to UTC at the Power C Tour stop in Franklin, Tennessee.
