{"id":80253,"date":"2026-10-19T08:18:19","date_gmt":"2026-10-19T12:18:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.utc.edu\/news\/?p=80253"},"modified":"2026-10-19T09:05:47","modified_gmt":"2026-10-19T13:05:47","slug":"plant-your-roots-during-utc-transfer-student-week","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.utc.edu\/news\/2026\/10\/plant-your-roots-during-utc-transfer-student-week\/","title":{"rendered":"Plant your roots during UTC Transfer Student Week"},"content":{"rendered":"

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For some students, the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga isn\u2019t the first stop on their collegiate academic journey.<\/p>\n

National Transfer Student Week\u2014taking place Oct. 19-23\u2014aims to help students find their place on campus. This year\u2019s University theme is \u201cRooted at UTC.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe want people to plant roots here, transfer students or otherwise,\u201d said Melissa Laseter, director of Student Success Programs at UTC. \u201cTransfer students have chosen to come here and they come with a set of experiences. They\u2019re not new at all of this, and we want them to put down roots here.\u201d<\/p>\n

During the week, students will have the chance to grab free UTC swag and food while learning about campus resources.<\/p>\n

Laseter said her favorite part of the week is connecting with students during the events.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m just trying to make sure we have an opportunity to meet and give them somebody that, if they have a question about something, there\u2019s another connection point,\u201d she said. \u201cWe say a transfer student comes in already having a set of skills, a set of knowledge, but everything\u2019s a little different depending on where you go. So it\u2019s nice to know where you can go to get some help to get that information.\u201d<\/p>\n

The week also gives students a chance to give back to the local community. On Friday, Oct. 23, students will build hygiene kits for Partnership for Families, Children and Adults.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis month is also Domestic Violence Awareness Month,\u201d Laseter said, \u201cso we\u2019re doing kits for a local organization that works with domestic abuse victims. You don\u2019t have to be a transfer student either. To me, it\u2019s important to make sure that there\u2019s something for you and something you have a chance to give away.\u201d<\/p>\n

For UTC senior Amanda Sasmita, giving back to the transfer community has been a priority. A nursing major from Denver, Sasmita transferred from Arapahoe Community College in Littleton, Colorado, in 2024.<\/p>\n

Scheduled to graduate in December, Sasmita works as a Transfer Mocs Mentor and has helped students who feel overwhelmed or unsettled on campus.<\/p>\n

She explained that events like Transfer Student Week help with that process.<\/p>\n

\u201cHaving a sense of community in place, like a transfer week, and knowing that you\u2019re being celebrated in a place where it already feels unfamiliar to you is really important,\u201d Sasmita said. \u201cI remember coming in as a transfer student and I moved across the country. I didn\u2019t know anyone. I didn\u2019t know the school\u2019s culture.<\/p>\n

\u201cHaving a place, or having a whole week where you feel like you belong \u2026 is really important to feel included in the activities. It helps you feel like you can go out and do other things, and have that sense of community to back you up as you continue your schooling journey.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fellow Transfer Mocs Mentor Asha Lee will volunteer during Transfer Student Week. Lee transferred from Chattanooga State Community College and is an applied leadership major and a member of the Innovations and Honors Program.<\/p>\n

She explained that her experience at UTC could benefit incoming students.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m very much a sponge,\u201d Lee said. \u201cI was able to get into honors and be a Chancellor Ambassador. I do peer mentoring, peer academic coaching and I also have an internship. Because I\u2019m a sponge and I make connections, and not everyone is like me, I want to help others advocate for themselves. There are so many different resources and stuff on campus.\u201d<\/p>\n

Transfer Student Week calendar:<\/h4>\n

Monday (Oct. 19)<\/p>\n