Chattanooga State Community College will hold its 53rd Annual Commencement exercises during two consecutive sessions on Saturday, May 4 at Solder’s & Sailor’s Memorial Auditorium when 1,490 graduate candidates are scheduled to receive more than 1,600 degrees and/or certificates. The first ceremony at 10 a.m. will include graduate candidates from Engineering and Information Technologies, Humanities and Fine Arts, and Social and Behavioral Sciences.
The 2:30 p.m. ceremony will welcome graduate candidates from Business, Mathematics and Sciences, Nursing and Allied Health, as well as Hamilton County Collegiate High at Chattanooga State students.
The youngest member of the Class of 2019 was born in 2003, while oldest member was born in 1946. There are 426 students who have attained honors status and 393 Tennessee Promise graduate candidates in 2019. Both categories have each increased by 55 students. Sixty-two percent of graduates are female; 38% are male, and 42% are over the age of 25. Twenty-eight percent are first generation students. Students from 22 international countries are represented. Fifty-four graduate candidates are enrolled in Hamilton County Collegiate High at Chattanooga State and 24 of those students have earned enough credits to receive an associate degree.
James Fry, a member of the class of 2019, will present the Commencement address during both ceremonies. Mr. Fry returned to school as a Tennessee Reconnect student in 2017. Majoring in history, he was recognized by his department and awarded the Academic Excellence Award during the spring of 2018. The following fall he became a department tutor. Mr. Fry’s excitement for academic experiences translated into passion as an adult student learner. He helped to resurrect the C.AD.R.E. Adult Student Club and appeared as a speaker and advocate for the TN Reconnect program. His academic achievements and his involvement in a number of clubs and activities at Chattanooga State have earned him a number of honors and awards. Mr. Fry is a Global Scholar as well as a member of Phi Theta Kappa and SPIRE honor societies. Fry was recently named Community College Student of the Year by the College System of Tennessee during the Statewide Outstanding Achievement Recognition (SOAR) award ceremony. He plans to transfer to UTC this fall majoring in history.
The following Faculty Fellows will be recognized at the ceremony: Skylar Davidson, Elizabeth Norrell, and William Taylor, Bea Lyons Fellows; Scott Douglass and Allison Fetters, Amanda Wynn Fellows.
Faculty and Staff Excellence Award Winners include Amy Campbell, Professional Staff; Kirsten Jones, Support Staff; Michael Mercer, Teaching Excellence, TN College of Applied Technology; Richard Clements, Excellence in Advising; Jacob Stanford, Faculty Excellence in Teaching.
Retiring Faculty and staff for 2018-19 include Paulette Amsler, Wesley Bradford, Wayne Cox, Patti Dyer, Donald Dyer, Tina Ewton, William Ewton, Sharon Hall, Marsha Havener, Robert Hobgood, Julie Land, Rosemary Milburn, Ronald Reese, Mitchell Rhea, Deborah Rudd, Barry Smith, Jill Wentworth, Brenda Woodruff, and Betty Zmaj.
Chattanooga State Community College consistently offers a high quality education with an 18:1 student-to-teacher ratio, 98 percent job placement rate, and 98 percent licensure pass rate. For more information, visit www.chattanoogastate.edu.