From medical school in Albania to an Associate of Science in Accounting at Pellissippi State, Klea Lamallari has learned that unexpected changes can still lead to great things. While in high school in Albania, Klea had already applied for medical school. Then, during a trip to Knoxville to visit her… Read More »Lamallari takes the lead on campus that convinced her to stay
“I was somebody in my country. When I moved here, I was nobody.” That’s what it felt like to Tserendejid Batsaikhan when she arrived in the United States from her native Mongolia eight years ago. Although she had a degree in radio communications engineering, Batsaikhan did not speak English and… Read More »Nursing graduate learns English on way to new career
Christy Pittman can still remember the scent of her Daddy’s woodshop when she was young. “I’ve always loved the smell of sawdust, woodsmoke, paint and varnish,” remembers Pittman, now 53 and a grandmother of three. “That is where my love of design began.” Now, after 20 years as a nail… Read More »Graduate spotlight: Degree takes salon owner from nail design to interior design
After years of struggling in class and feeling like a failure, Pamela Coffin was ready to give up on college. Pamela first came to Pellissippi State because of her daughter, who encouraged her to go to college through the Tennessee Reconnect program. However, after failing several classes, Pamela became discouraged and thought something had to be… Read More »Graduate spotlight: Coffin finds support, starts business caring for others
In the span of three months in early 2019, Nick Galloway lost his livelihood and his father. “I was looking for a new career after working for the family business since I was 6,” remembers Nick, who was 38 at the time. “It was abrupt, but I have two children.… Read More »Graduate spotlight: Galloway obtains industry certification before graduation
Kieshia Edwards has always dreamed of becoming a nurse. After her niece encouraged her to go to college and pursue her dream of working in the medical field, Kieshia enrolled at Pellissippi State in 2012 to get her nursing school prerequisites. Since she was also working part-time at a dialysis… Read More »Graduate spotlight: Edwards overcame challenges to finish what she started
Matthew Plummer, a flight paramedic with UT LIFESTAR, knew he wanted to keep increasing his earning potential, but he also didn’t want to miss important moments with his growing family. “Pellissippi State has the Nursing Bridge program, which appealed to me because it is an accelerated pathway,” explains Matthew, who… Read More »Graduate spotlight: Paramedic completes Nursing degree while working full time
When most people think of rocks, they probably don’t get very excited. But that’s not the case for Tracy Homer, who will graduate from Pellissippi State this month. Tracy, a self-proclaimed science nerd, is so passionate about geology, she decided to make it into a career. Tracy is enrolled in Pellissippi State’s Tennessee Transfer Pathway for… Read More »Graduate spotlight: Homer maps out career path in map making
