Accepted students and their families gathered in the University Center for UTC’s first-ever “Accepted Student Event.” Photo by Angela Foster.
Addy Kress had been to every table in the University Center’s Tennessee Room by the end of the enrollment services fair.
She had a lot to learn as a soon-to-be freshman at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Though she just received her acceptance letter, she is already fully committed to UTC.
“There is a college in my town,” explained Kress, who lives in Cookeville, Tennessee. “I just didn’t want to go. I wanted to get out and explore. I feel like UTC is close enough to home that I can come back on a weekend, but it’s far enough that I can venture out on my own.”
Kress was one of 388 potential future students who attended the fair, which was part of a much larger initiative: UTC’s first-ever “Accepted Student Event” on Thursday, Feb. 26. Including parents and guests, the event brought around 825 total attendees to campus.
At the fair, accepted students heard from various campus services, including Financial Aid and Scholarships, Career Connections, University Health Services, Housing and Residence Life, Undergraduate Admissions, and the Center for Student Accessibility.
Throughout the evening, prospective students could tour the academic colleges, visit their future residence halls and speak directly with faculty, advisors and current students about what their first year might look like.
They also attended a student panel and an organization fair, where they could ask questions, hear about campus traditions and explore ways to get involved. The evening concluded with a Mocs men’s basketball game at McKenzie Arena, which—for some—was their first collegiate sporting event.
Addy Kress (right) and her mom, Hannah Kress.
Kress’ biggest question coming into the event was what day-to-day life would look like once she arrives on campus.
“I want to know what to expect my first year,” Kress said. “With my apartment and my classes and everything.”
Dr. Brynn Munro, director of Undergraduate Admissions, said the idea behind the event was to provide that reassurance and show prospective students that UTC can feel like home.
“They’ve made the decision to go to college. They’ve started that application process and they’ve cleared their first collegiate hurdle after being admitted,” she said. “This is really about getting them to see the beauty of UTC, getting them to see all that we have to offer here and to know that they have a place here. This is where we hope that they come and join us in August.”
Across the room, Ethan Jones and two friends from Oliver Springs High School near Knoxville, Tennessee, moved between tables and looked at their new UTC merchandise.
“It is kind of nerve-racking just because our school is so small,” Jones said. “There’s like 250 kids. So coming here, this room is probably our whole high school.”
Jones, who plans to major in nursing, said he was most interested in seeing housing options and learning “more about all the things that are here at UTC.” Getting out of school for the day and attending the basketball game, he said, was “an added bonus.”
Hailey Henderson (center) joined a panel with students Benji Sessions (left), Arden Perry, Monse Espinoza and Joshua Clay.
During a panel featuring UTC students Joshua Clay, Arden Perry, Hailey Henderson, Monse Espinoza and Benji Sessions, the current Mocs helped answer prospective students’ questions.
“I want them to ask the most random questions,” said Henderson, a junior mechanical engineering major from Memphis. “I want to tell them about everything that we do here—all the traditions, the vintage markets, the late-night Waffle House runs. I just want them to picture it in their heads.”
Henderson said she remembered arriving on campus with “like 50,000 questions” as a freshman. Now, her goal is to help incoming students feel comfortable enough to ask theirs.
“It’s just trying to ease that transition and get them hyped for being a student here and to see what student life is really all about,” she said.
Terrence Banks, associate director of recruitment and engagement—and a two-time UTC alum—also knows what it’s like to be a new student at UTC.
“It’s OK not to know,” he said. “Most people coming to college are unsure. We have professionals here to help you finalize a decision.
“There’s also no perfect way to do it. College looks different for everybody, and I think that’s one of my favorite things about UTC.”
Even current first-year students like Ellery Alm, a marketing major from Knoxville who works with the “A Moc’s First Year” program, spent the day helping future students imagine their own transition into college life.
“I just want to show them all the learning opportunities that ‘A Moc’s First Year’ provides,” Alm said. “It’s such a good way to get involved. It just kind of throws you in the deep end in a good way.
“That’s why I love UTC. You meet new people every day, but you still have that sense of community here. I think that’s what ‘A Moc’s First Year’ is about, too — just finding your community.”
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Photo gallery by Angela Foster
Ethan Jones (left) and his friends hold a “Power C’ flag.
