Carter Graham spent the fall of 2024 as a student writer in the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Division of Communications and Marketing, completing bachelor’s degrees in both communication and business administration: management. He is a 2019 graduate of Chattanooga Christian School.
* * * * *
Carter Graham will be walking across the McKenzie Arena stage on Saturday, Dec. 14, during UTC undergraduate commencement ceremonies. Photo by Angela Foster.
When I stepped on campus at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in the fall of 2019, I didn’t expect the incredible opportunities that would be afforded to me or the impending global pandemic, which made the start of my collegiate career feel like a false start.
COVID-19 was an unwelcome intrusion into what was supposed to be a straightforward college experience, and I’ll never forget the email from UTC during spring break about canceling classes.
Coming into my freshman year, I was undecided on my major and didn’t have a clue what path I wanted to pursue. Business Administration: Management felt like a safe decision in a world that, at the time, felt increasingly less stable.
===============================================================
Click here for more UTC Commencement 2024 stories
===============================================================
For the next few years, I spent most of my time in the Gary W. Rollins College of Business, fumbling through financial statements and Excel tables. Through the help of the professors and late nights at the library studying, I felt pretty comfortable building tables and formulas and reading financial statements.
Yet I felt like something was missing.
Ever since I was a kid, sports have been one of my passions. I loved playing basketball at Chattanooga Christian School. I loved watching and reading about whichever Chicago team was in the news. The 2016 World Series-winning Cubs team will always be a defining moment in my life because I saw the joy on my father’s face as a lifelong fan of the lovable losers.
So when I heard about a Sports Writing course in the Department of Communication, I was extremely excited. Initially, I was just trying to complete my requirements for a communication minor to pair with a management major, but it quickly became my favorite class at UTC.
With the guidance of Professor Chris Dortch, my writing improved while discussing basketball stars Michael Jordan and Steph Curry, which felt like a breath of fresh air. I quickly became involved with the UTC Echo. In that class, I met Lexi Foley, the sports editor for the Echo, who encouraged me to start covering sports and helped me along my journey in the communication department.
This was the missing piece.
After taking that class, I decided to add a communication major and extend my stay at UTC. It was the best decision I made during my time here.
Since that decision, I have taken advantage of many opportunities to develop my skills as a prospective employee, which have helped add to my resume. I became the assistant sports editor for the UTC Echo. Thanks to Professor Dortch, I was able to write about basketball for the NBA and Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook. Professor Billy Weeks taught me how to use a camera in Photojournalism I and provided a space for me to continue to get bylines in his Rising Rock class.
I wouldn’t be writing this right now without the decision to keep pursuing my passion. The only reason I got this internship with the Division of Communications and Marketing was because of that decision.
Carter Graham will be graduating from UTC with bachelor’s degrees in both communication and business administration: management.
If someone had told me 15 years ago that I would get the opportunity to write about basketball for a publication, it wouldn’t have felt real. I was only able to do that through the connections available at UTC.
I wouldn’t change anything about my college experience.
It took me some time to find my footing, but it was worth seeing where I am now compared to that 18-year-old kid who stepped into his Guerry residence hall room with a Playstation and NBA League Pass.
The first piece of advice I gave to my younger brother Parker when he started at UTC was to get connected on campus as soon as possible, and I would give that advice to any incoming first-year student. It can be through professors, clubs or any extracurricular activities that may pique your interest.
Don’t wait for your ideal college experience to come to you … go seize it. Nothing stopped me from reaching out or trying these classes earlier than three years into school. I had to realize that the only person who could take the first step in owning my collegiate career was myself.
I’m not sure where my life will go after graduation, but I know I will be prepared for my next chapter. The tools from my majors have prepared me for whatever’s next and filled me with confidence, knowing I took advantage of the many opportunities on campus to learn and prepare myself.
My mother, Stephanie Graham, graduated from UTC in 1993 with an accounting degree and my grandmother, Joyce Powell, worked in the bursar’s office until she retired in 2011. I’m proud to say I can now officially join them as I leave my mark here at UTC when I graduate on Dec. 14.
Learn more
Milestones and memories: McKenzie Arena to host UTC commencement ceremonies Friday and Saturday
