From refugee to president of the Student Activities Board, Maria Ortiz Quinones is a walking reminder of how Pellissippi State Community College is changing lives. “When I came here as a refugee eight years ago, I was having a hard time with the culture, the language and everything you need… Read More »Student Activities Board president ‘found a family’ at Pellissippi State
Pellissippi State Community College will celebrate two of its outstanding alumni at the Pellissippi Strong Luncheon next week. The event, presented by FirstBank and hosted by Tearsa Smith of WATE-TV, will be held 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Wednesday, April 19, at the Hilton Knoxville Airport, 2001 Alcoa Highway, Alcoa. Individual tickets… Read More »Celebrate Pellissippi State’s alumni award winners April 19
Mae Manis had gone down many different paths on her way to Pellissippi State, not the least of which was as a firewalker. “I started firewalking at 15, I started teaching at 18 with my brother, and then I went to firewalking school and got licensed to teach by myself… Read More »Firewalker blazes new path at Pellissippi State
Nicki Spurling transferred her job from Georgia to Tennessee to be with her husband. After a few years, however, she felt she’d been putting her education on the back burner for too long, and it was time to go back to school. “I really want to do it,” she told her husband, who… Read More »Cancer diagnosis didn’t stop Spurling from finishing her degree
After sending her daughter off to college in 2014, Tina King started having her own aspirations to return to school. “Why not? I didn’t get to finish college when I first started in 1993, so I think I’ll give it a shot,” Tina recalls. A longtime employee of the Tennessee… Read More »King’s pursuit of management degree helps her move up the ladder at TDOT
Brandon Ball, a veteran of the U.S. Army, enrolled in college right out of high school, but put his academic journey on hold to help financially support his family after his mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. After serving in the military for four years, Brandon applied to Pellissippi State… Read More »U.S. Army veteran finds strong support system at Pellissippi State
