During his time at UTC, Graham Davis completed six internships and built meaningful connections around campus. Photo by Angela Foster.
When graduating senior Graham Davis began his journey at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, he didn’t know where to begin.
He started as a communication major and soon pivoted to business management. Along the way, he also became a member of the Honors College’s Innovations in Honors program.
“I want to be able to work on my own thing and be able to create something that helps people and brings value,” Davis said.
When he walks across the Commencement stage on Saturday, May 9, Davis will know he took full advantage of his time at UTC.
During his time on campus, he completed six internships to build his resume while acquiring skills to help run his own business one day.
“I could get experience that I’ll be able to talk about in an interview that will hopefully set me apart,” he said. “I knew I’d make less money for a few years but that was the route that I decided to take. I wanted to make money while also getting as much experience as I could.”
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Two of those internships began in his first year in Chattanooga, including a student-worker position in the UTC Division of Communications and Marketing.
“It’s been a huge part of my life and routine,” said the Knoxville native on his internship. “Obviously, there are a lot of great people in the office, and I’ve learned skills in copywriting and web development. As the student team has grown, I’ve been able to guide some students as they start coming in and asking for help.
“People ask me questions every day and it’s cool to kind of lead in that way. Also, just having the experience opened me up to tons of others, too.”
His second internship was with the Urban Vision Initiative, a program that supports members of underserved communities in developing businesses through instruction and mentoring.
Mike Bradshaw, the director of the Max Fuller Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, recalled first meeting Davis.
“We were just launching the Urban Vision Initiative, which has come to be a real centerpiece program of our activities,” Bradshaw said. “Graham was interested. He approached us, and I said, ‘OK, you seem like you’re perfect.’ I invited him to join us and he did. He threw himself in all the way and has done a fantastic job.”
Along with working as a student consultant, Davis competed in the center’s Fly! Pitch Competition, where he presented an original business plan.
“He’s got the confidence to do it and that distinguishes him in a lot of ways from other people his age,” Bradshaw said. “He’s a very clear thinker and ambitious. He allows his thoughts to wander but he’s disciplined enough to pull them back in, and that’s a really powerful set of capabilities.”
Bradshaw called teaching Davis a “dream come true” because of his willingness to connect with his professors and classmates.
Davis had the same sentiments toward Bradshaw.
“He has been instrumental in my time at UTC,” Davis said. “He’s given me great advice, helped me really work on my goals of going into business and starting a career. We’ve had tons of great conversations.”
Davis explained that the connections and community built at UTC are the highlights of his time on campus.
“It’s been a really good experience,” Davis said. “I’ve had the opportunity to go to college very affordably, which is one of the things I’m most thankful for over the last two years—having school paid for by scholarships from UTC. I’ve been able to meet some of my best friends and spend a lot of really fun weekends in the outdoors. I’m walking away with an awesome girlfriend that I met here.
“When I do interviews, people are like, ‘You’re pretty sharp.’ A lot of that can be attributed to the experiences I’ve had at UTC in my classes, working with my mentor and being in the Communications and Marketing office. I’m really grateful for all the opportunities.”
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Gary W. Rollins College of Business
