Chancellor Lori Bruce spoke at Meigs County High School to encourage students to consider attending the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Photo by Angela Foster.
The University of Tennessee System’s “Find Your Future” high school tour visited four Southeast Tennessee high schools Thursday, Sept. 24, bringing cheers, songs and information about higher education opportunities across the UT System.
UT System President Randy Boyd and UTC Chancellor Lori Bruce visited Meigs County High School, McMinn County High School, Polk County High School and Central High School of McMinn County.
Students from the four high schools met in their respective gyms or auditoriums to learn about higher education opportunities through the UT System as part of a statewide initiative to connect directly with students and families about opportunities across UT’s campuses.
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 remember my senior year in high school being one of the most favorite years of my life,” Boyd said at McMinn County. “It was also a year that was filled with a lot of anxiety, a lot of stress. I knew that that was going to be the year in which I was going to have to make some really important decisions, answer some really important questions. The way I answered those was going to have a profound impact on the rest of my life.”
He explained the benefits of earning a degree or certificate, citing Tennessee’s workforce statistics.
“In the state of Tennessee, over the last 10 years, there are 90,000 fewer jobs if you just have a high school diploma,” Boyd said. “However, over the last 10 years, if you get a four-year degree, a bachelor’s degree or master’s degree, there have been 347,000 more jobs. That’s where the jobs are.”
He highlighted the affordability of attending a UT System campus.
“Students who graduated from the University of Tennessee: 55% graduated with zero debt,” Boyd said. “And of those that graduated with debt, the average was less than $26,000, and that’s been going down every year. We’re constantly trying to make it more affordable.”
UT System President Randy Boyd outlined the benefits of a college degree at McMinn County High School.
He urged students to examine which UT System campus might be right for them.
Bruce encouraged students to consider UTC because “it’s right in your backyard, but far enough away that you get to be away, but still close enough that you get to come home and see family more often.”
“I promise you will find your group of people,” she said. “You’ll find your tribe at UT Chattanooga, your group of friends, because it’s small enough to manage, but just big enough to have all that big university feel.”
From being a member of the Singing Mocs to watching basketball at McKenzie Arena, she said there is something for everyone who attends UTC.
“I want you to pick one campus at UT, but I especially want you to pick UT Chattanooga,” Bruce said.
UTC alum Ashley McKnight spoke at all four schools about how she found “her tribe” at UTC.
McKnight said she was “brave for three seconds” and volunteered for an event, which led to an on-campus position after an admissions staff member saw her dancing, talking to families and directing traffic.
“I was able to be a tour guide on campus, and then I was able to transition and be an orientation leader,” she told the high school students. “I worked in our on-campus gym. I oversaw student organizations. I was able to participate and be a member of the dance team that fell within the band. I had a beautiful collegiate experience.”
McKnight now serves as the head coach of UTC’s Ladies of GOLD while working at EPB as an HR professional.
“You guys have time to figure it out, but I hope that you guys end up on a college campus that chooses you the way that UTC chose me,” McKnight said.
Associate Director of Recruitment Terrence Banks explained that his favorite part of the tours is seeing students discover what UT System universities offer.
“The more they know, the easier it is to make that jump from high school to college,” Banks said. “I think you get a lot of support in high school. When you see that same support in college, it makes it less scary.”
Banks encouraged students to “come to UTC for the opportunities, stay for the community and graduate with a degree.”
Ashley McKnight described her collegiate journey at UTC while speaking at McMinn County High School.
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Photo gallery by Angela Foster
