2nd TVEC Cohort To Graduate From Cleveland State Community College

What started as a new way to look at education five years ago, has now generated the second group of graduates from the Tennessee Valley Early College (TVEC) at Cleveland State Community College.

The TVEC at Cleveland State is a partnership program between the college and local school systems designed to allow students to pursue college credit at the same time they are earning a high school diploma. This goal is achieved by engaging students in a rigorous high school curriculum tied to the incentive of earning college credit during their freshman and sophomore years and of taking traditional college courses on CSCC’s campus during their junior and senior years. 

 

Developing an early college program emerged as an important goal of Cleveland State’s  Community First 2020 Plan. The value of early college programs at improving student learning is supported by national research which has shown that students engaged in this model of instruction are significantly more likely to earn college degrees than other students while at the same time accruing less educational debt and having the opportunity to begin their careers early (thus having the opportunity for higher lifetime earnings).

According to Dr.

Bill Seymour, CSCC President, the TVEC fit in well with CSCC’s strategic plan goal “to offer relevant programs that satisfy needs of students and the workforce and deliver them in modes that maximize student engagement and completion.”

Seymour stated, “When this cohort of Tennessee Valley Early College students started with us in the fall of 2019, they had no idea they would be completing a college degree during a world-wide pandemic. I give these young scholars a great deal of credit for their persistence and success to complete both high school and college in the face of adversity.” 

Cleveland State would like to recognize the members of the second graduating class of the TVEC who have now completed all requirements for their associate degrees:

Alek Pagan from Cleveland High School, will graduate from the TVEC program with a University Parallel Associate of Science degree. He plans to attend Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) to study Aviation Maintenance. After college, he would like to either perform maintenance on military aircrafts or maintain commercial / private planes.

Amberlynn Campbell, from Cleveland High School, will graduate from the TVEC program with an Associate of Science degree in Business Administration. She plans to complete her bachelor’s degree in two years in marketing or business and then pursue a master’s degree.

Andrew Barnette, from Cleveland High School, will graduate from the TVEC program with a University Parallel Associate of Science degree. He plans to attend Tennessee Tech University (TTU) to study chemical engineering. He hopes to one day have a career in chemical engineering at a plant.

Elizabeth Yielding, a home school student, will graduate from the TVEC program with a University Parallel Associate of Science degree. She plans to attend TTU to major in applied chemistry and minor in biology. She hopes to one day find a career in the field of chemistry, but is also interested in medicine, forensics and genetics.

Joy Douglass, from Cleveland High School, will graduate from the TVEC program with an Associate of Science degree in Business Administration. She plans to attend Lee University to study healthcare administration and complete both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees. She plans to become the CEO or director of a health facility (medical office, hospital or assisted living).

Katie Hamilton, from Cleveland High School, will graduate from the TVEC program with a University Parallel Associate of Science degree. She plans to attend MTSU to study pre-veterinary medicine and eventually veterinarian school. She plans to become a small animal veterinarian.

Kristen Hamilton, from Cleveland High School, will graduate from the TVEC program with a University Parallel Associate of Science degree. She plans to attend MTSU and is undecided on her major, but plans to study psychology, political science or biology and one day have a career that will benefit people and society as a whole.

Lily Bradney, from Cleveland High School, will graduate from the TVEC program with a University Parallel Associate of Science degree. She plans to attend either MTSU or Belmont University to study chemistry with a pre-med focus. She also plans to attend medical school to become a surgeon.

Luis Martinez, from Cleveland High School, will graduate from the TVEC program with a University Parallel Associate of Science degree. He is undecided on his college choice, but plans to major in creative writing and hopes to one day find a job doing what he loves.

Mila Taylor, from Cleveland High School, will graduate from the TVEC program with a University Parallel Associate of Science degree. She plans to take a year off from school to save money and travel. She wants to take her time to decide on a major and future career that she is passionate about.

Mya Rodriguez, from Cleveland High School, will graduate from the TVEC program with a University Parallel Associate of Science degree. She plans to attend MTSU to study criminal justice. Eventually, she would like to attend law school and become a lawyer.

Ryan Medlin, from Cleveland High School, will graduate from the TVEC program with an Associate of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering. He plans to attend TTU to study Mechanical Engineering. He wants to work in the aerospace industry. 

“I could not be prouder of this graduating class of Tennessee Valley Early College students,” stated Kelli Roach, Assistant Director of Admissions / Early College and Dual Enrollment Coordinator. “They have persevered through a global pandemic and maintained their academic drive to complete both high school and an associate degree this year. Many students in this cohort are graduating with honors as a result of their high grade point averages proving their dedication to academic excellence.”

Roach continued, “Each student has a unique next step in their college journey and their career aspirations will greatly benefit society. I have enjoyed getting to know these students for the past three years and watching them grow into the fantastic individuals they are today.”

For more information on TVEC, contact Roach at kroach01@clevelandstatecc.edu. For more information on Cleveland State Community College, visit the website at clevelandstatecc.edu or email clscc_info@clevelandstatecc.edu. If you are interested in applying, visit mycs.cc/applynow. Students are currently enrolled online and on-campus through the CSCC main campus in Cleveland, Tennessee, as well as CSCC’s Athens Center in Athens, Tennessee and Monroe County Center in Vonore, Tennessee.