{"id":16680,"date":"2018-12-15T21:07:57","date_gmt":"2018-12-16T02:07:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www3.tusculum.edu\/news\/?p=16680"},"modified":"2018-12-15T21:10:06","modified_gmt":"2018-12-16T02:10:06","slug":"tusculum-awards-degrees-to-about-300-students-in-first-graduation-ceremony-as-a-university","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www3.tusculum.edu\/news\/admission\/2018\/tusculum-awards-degrees-to-about-300-students-in-first-graduation-ceremony-as-a-university\/","title":{"rendered":"Tusculum awards degrees to about 300 students in first graduation ceremony as a university"},"content":{"rendered":"

Laurie Smith experiences life fully as a married mother of two busy teenage sons and a kindergarten teacher at Cedar Bluff Elementary School in Knoxville.<\/p>\n

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Laurie Smith, valedictorian during Saturday’s graduation ceremony, delivers her remarks.<\/p><\/div>\n

On Saturday, Dec. 15, she added another distinction to her portfolio: a Master of Arts in education<\/a> with a curriculum and instruction concentration from Tusculum University<\/a>. It is the second degree she has earned from Tusculum, the first being a Bachelor of Arts in education with a kindergarten through sixth grade concentration.<\/p>\n

Serving as valedictorian, Smith was one of about 300 students to receive a degree during Tusculum\u2019s jubilant fall graduation ceremony Saturday, Dec. 15, at Pioneer Arena in the Scott M. Niswonger Commons. This class was the first to participate in such an event since Tusculum converted from college to university status in July.<\/p>\n

The ceremony brought smiles and cheers in abundance, with many students posting special messages on their caps. The event even featured a selfie taken from the stage with the audience in the background. At the conclusion, professors and members of Tusculum\u2019s executive cabinet formed lines to applaud the graduates as they left the arena.<\/p>\n

As she discussed securing a master\u2019s degree in her 40s and the accomplishments of her classmates, Smith summarized their quest in one word \u2014 perseverance.<\/p>\n

\u201cSome of us are just beginning our next chapter while others of us are several chapter into the book of life,\u201d Smith said. \u201cWe have different experiences and viewpoints depending on the stage we are in. What ties us all together is perseverance.\u201d<\/p>\n

Smith said this attribute is evident in a person\u2019s actions.<\/p>\n

\u201cPerseverance gives us the prodigious feeling of accomplishment of our goals and the feeling each of us has right now as we reflect on how hard we worked to arrive at this point in our lives,\u201d she said. \u201cReal life will not be easy. There will be obstacles, and there will be failures. But perseverance will help us find a way around those obstacles. When we walk out these doors, I implore you to keep your growth mindset and perseverance. They will serve you well in life and help you to accomplish all of your goals.\u201d<\/p>\n

After completing her undergraduate degree on Tusculum\u2019s Knoxville campus, Smith began her teaching career. She wanted to finish her master\u2019s degree earlier, but this academic step continued to be postponed until she received help with her work load. Her husband calls her a driven person, so she eventually proceeded with her master\u2019s degree through Tusculum\u2019s online program.<\/p>\n

Smith said the master\u2019s degree will enable her to pursue an academic coaching or lead teacher position if she decides to change her career focus. Joshua Johnson, who was salutatorian for Saturday\u2019s ceremony and earned an online master\u2019s in talent development<\/a>, said this degree will strengthen his skills in his job as coordinator of county and state scholarships at Northeast State Community College.<\/p>\n

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Joshua Johnson, salutatorian during Saturday’s graduation ceremony, delivers his remarks.<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cI like to be in a leadership role with students, where I can be impactful, and I hope I can continue somewhere along those lines,\u201d he said. \u201cThe master\u2019s program has taught me not only about leadership but actually about developing talent within my field. The great thing about Tusculum\u2019s master\u2019s program was it was designed to support what I was already doing, and that\u2019s why it was such an easy choice.\u201d<\/p>\n

Johnson, who lives in Piney Flats, said he had an exceptional experience at Tusculum.<\/p>\n

\u201cEveryone here \u2014 the faculty and staff \u2014 has been so supportive of me that it\u2019s actually made the process of receiving my degree easier,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

On the undergraduate level, Patrick Jones, who took his classes on the Greeneville campus, received a biology<\/a> degree with an environmental science<\/a> focus. He said Dr. Connor Keitzer and David Frazier were particularly helpful to him.<\/p>\n

\u201cI had a lot of fun here, especially exploring the Appalachian Mountains as part of my degree,\u201d he said. \u201cWe\u2019re right next to the Appalachians, and that\u2019s one of the biodiverse wonders of the world. There was also a lot of one-on-one interaction with the teachers here. I could develop more of a personal relationship here with the teachers, and that made my studies go more easily.\u201d<\/p>\n

Addressing the graduates, Dr. James Hurley, Tusculum\u2019s president, highlighted how this was the first graduation ceremony as a university. But he reminded the audience about Tusculum\u2019s stature as Tennessee\u2019s first institution of higher education, having been founded in 1794, as well as its Presbyterian roots.<\/p>\n

Other examples of Tusculum\u2019s leadership are:<\/p>\n