Terrence Banks is the associate director of recruitment in the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. Photo by Angela Foster.
Spend a few minutes with Terrence Banks and it becomes clear how much he cares about the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.
Banks is a two-time UTC graduate, receiving his bachelor’s degree in exercise science in 2013 and his master’s degree in public administration in 2019. He joined the undergraduate admissions staff as a counselor in 2015 and has worked his way up to associate director of recruitment.
Though not in his job description, Banks often emcees events for incoming and prospective students, such as the Power C Tour and Convocation. He is frequently the first friendly face students see at the beginning of their UTC experience.
Tell me a little about your background and what led you to UTC.
“My high school guidance counselor was actually the first person who mentioned UTC to me. I thought I wanted to go into physical therapy at the time, so she encouraged me to look into the University.
“Then one of my close friends in high school asked if I was still thinking about UTC. He told me that if I got in, we could be roommates. I hadn’t even looked at housing yet, but once he showed me the setup, I was sold on UTC.
“I ended up coming here from five hours away. Once I got on campus, my plans changed pretty quickly. I realized physical therapy wasn’t the path for me, but UTC was. I earned my degree in exercise science, got involved all over campus and never really left.”
How did UTC shape your college experience?
“People don’t believe me when I say this, but I’m still an introvert.
“I came to orientation and I remember having this thought to myself: ‘It’s a new group of people. It’s a new stage of my life. Let’s just jump out there and talk to people and see what happens.’ Orientation was really that first big push for me. I met a bunch of people, and when I came back in the fall, it was easy because I already knew some of them. I had already interacted with them.
“Then I started saying yes to things. I joined a fraternity. I became a Chancellor’s Ambassador. Every time an opportunity came up, I just kept jumping into it.
“One of the biggest things was becoming a Chancellor’s Ambassador. The chief of staff at the time, Terry Denniston, stopped me after a meeting one day and said, ‘You should be a Chancellor’s Ambassador.’ I had no idea what that was, but she sounded so enthusiastic about it that I just said yes right there on the spot.”
How did your career in admissions begin?
“I was in grad school, in my last semester, trying to figure out what I was going to do next. One of my friends who worked in admissions told me, ‘Bro, you’d love it down here. It’s like being a motivational speaker. You get to go to high schools and talk to students.’ So I applied.
“The crazy part is I had another job opportunity sitting on the table while I was waiting to hear back from admissions. I remember having to make a decision before I knew whether I got the admissions job. I turned the other opportunity down and just took a leap of faith.
“You talk about no sleeping, no eating over the weekend. I was stressed. Then I got the call offering me the job as a West Tennessee admissions counselor. I must have taken the deepest breath in the world after that phone call. I was like, ‘Oh, thank God.’”
What does your role as associate director of admissions involve?
“I work with a team of admissions counselors and recruiters. My goal is to help them become really, really good at what they do. I want them to be effective recruiters, but I also want them to grow as people. I know admissions counselors aren’t at the top of the mountain, so part of my responsibility is helping them get to whatever the next step is.
“A lot of my day is emails. A whole lot of emails. A lot of phone calls. I help with appeals, admissions decisions and things like that.
“But I’m also really big on relationships. I try to work with Athletics, Alumni Affairs, Communications and Marketing, and departments all across campus. It’s not required, but I want us to be great campus partners.”
You’re often one of the first people prospective students meet. What does that responsibility mean to you?
“I wholeheartedly believe in what UTC is. I tell people all the time that I would not be the individual I am if it wasn’t for this University and the people who supported me along the way. So my life goal is to be that same kind of staff member for students.
“That’s why it’s easy for me to wear blue and gold. It’s easy to cheer for the Mocs. I truly believe in what the University creates and what it instills in students.”
Do any student interactions stand out to you?
“One of the most recent ones that jumps out at me started at an application day at Rhea County High School. I met a student there who eventually came to UTC. At one point, she was struggling and didn’t feel like she was supposed to continue. We had some really deep conversations about what that meant and what her future could look like.
“She came out on the other side of it. She got more involved, made more friends, studied abroad and graduated this spring. I was working commencement and saw her walk across the stage. Then she ran up and hugged me. I think moments like that are special because you get to see the entire process through. I remember being there when she first applied to UTC, and then I got to watch her graduate.”
What do you enjoy most about your role?
“Impressing the parents. I’m cool at winning over the students. But when I win the parents, that’s when I know we’ve done something.
“When they’re at all the programs, when they’re responding to emails, when they’re having a great experience, I know they’re going to tell somebody else. If I’m able to have a great interaction with parents and they can’t see anything else but blue and gold, I’m like, ‘That’s it. We got it.’”
What message would you share with incoming students?
“You don’t have to know. You don’t have to know what career you want. You don’t have to know exactly what major you’re going to end up in. A part of the college process is finding yourself and figuring out where you fit.
“I came to UTC thinking I wanted to do one thing. Along the way I discovered I loved public speaking, and now I have a career that I’m extremely proud of.
“So don’t walk in feeling like you have to have all the answers. UTC is here to help you find them.”
Terrence Banks speaks at a podium during the UTC Power C Tour.
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