Roane State Community College President Chris Whaley greets students in the library on the main campus in Harriman. (Photo by Roane State)
Roane State Community College will offer a “sunny” welcome to both new and returning students with special celebrations to kick off the start of fall classes.
Under the theme “My Future’s So Bright,” students will be invited to participate in a variety of activities during the college’s annual Welcome Back celebrations. An event will be held on Roane State’s Roane County campus on Monday, August 22, from 10 a.m-2 p.m. in the courtyard. A celebration on the Oak Ridge campus will be held on Tuesday, August 23, from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. in the atrium.
Students will be invited to write down their visions of their futures on a special banner and take a “future selfie” dressed in graduation attire or other gear associated with their future careers. A limited number of sunglasses will also be given away to attendees.
“We are excited to welcome students back to campus,” Roane State President Chris Whaley said. “A lot of exciting initiatives are happening at Tennessee’s community colleges with Tennessee Promise for high school students and Tennessee Reconnect for adults. The future is bright for Roane State students, and we want to show them how much we appreciate them and are committed to their success.”
A number of special guests will join the students to celebrate their arrival on campus and encourage them to reach their full potential. State Representative Kent Calfee and State Senator Ken Yager plan to attend the August 22 event in Harriman. State Representative John Ragan and State Representative Dennis Powers plan to attend the August 23 event in Oak Ridge. State Senator Randy McNally has a scheduling conflict and is unable to attend.
“We greatly appreciate the support legislators give to our community colleges and our students,” Whaley said. “Their efforts are crucial to helping us develop a highly skilled workforce in Tennessee.”
Tennessee Promise, now in its second year, is a state program offering two years of free tuition at one of the state’s 13 community colleges or 27 colleges of applied technology in the state for any student graduating from a Tennessee high school. More than 16,000 students enrolled in the first Tennessee Promise class in fall 2015, contributing to a 10.1 percent increase in overall first-time freshman enrollment in Tennessee public higher education in the fall of 2015 over the previous year. The Tennessee Reconnect program is a newer program for eligible older Tennesseans to return to college.
Roane State is a two-year college providing transfer programs, career-preparation programs and continuing education. Founded in 1971, the college has campuses in Crossville, Harriman, Huntsville, Jamestown, Knoxville, LaFollette, Lenoir City, Oak Ridge, and Wartburg.
For more information, visit roanestate.edu or call 1-866-GO2-RSCC (1-866-462-7722).
This press release was submitted by Owen Driskill of Roane State Community College.
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