Motlow Dual Enrollment Program Experiences Rapid Growth

By Deidra Wheeler

Motlow Buzz Reporter

         SMYRNA, Tenn.—The Dual Enrollment program at Motlow State Community College will experience an unprecedented growth in fall 2017, providing numerous courses on a variety of subjects to high school students in the state of Tennessee.

Dual Enrollment allows high school students to gain college credits while still attending their own high school classes every day. By completing the program, students are one step ahead of regular students when they enter their first year of college. If a high school student is using the Dual Enrollment grant, then the program is completely paid for. 

MSCC’s Dual Enrollment students come from all Rutherford County schools, homeschool associations, and even surrounding areas. 

According to newly hired High School Representative for Rutherford County and the High School Programs & Digital Learning Coordinator at MSCC Mary Kay Bell, the college is expected to expand the program even more next fall. There will over 100 students attending classes on campus alone.

“Those taking Dual Enrollment classes throughout Rutherford County will be more than 300 students,” said Bell. 

Mary Kay Bell

Maggie Bollinger, 16, a junior who is homeschooled in Nolensville, Tennessee, enrolled in Motlow’s dual enrollment program in the fall of 2016. Bollinger took a sociology course in the fall. She is now finishing a psychology course. Bollinger plans to double major in psychology and physical therapy after finishing her homeschool classes in Nolensville.

Bollinger has one sister and two older brothers who have dual enrolled at MSCC, and she has a few friends who are planning to dual enroll in the future.

“Being in this program is a great opportunity of learning on the college level,” said Bollinger. “It helps to know what the classes are really like, and what it is like to have a college schedule.”

Jeremy Wright, 17, a senior at Riverdale High School, enrolled in a college dual enrollment program in the fall of 2016. The dual enrollment program offered an advanced class for Wright that was not available on the Riverdale campus. He wanted to get into the dual enrollment program to be ahead in college in the fall of 2017.

He is planning to major in Spanish after high school to become an interpreter. Wright appreciates the fact that the dual enrollment program offered an advanced Spanish class that was going to put college credits toward his college career.

            “Don’t hesitate,” said Jeremy. “Take the advantage of not having to wait until the time is necessary to take a college course.”

            Meagan Pack, 18, also a senior at Riverdale, was enrolled in a college dual enrollment program in the fall of 2016, taking an English 1010 course. She plans to take the advantage of the Tennessee Promise Scholarship in the fall of 2017 at Volunteer State Community College. With that said, Volunteer State only accepts dual enrollment credits through its campus.

            Pack wants to continue learning after high school in the veterinary science program with a goal to earn her doctorate in veterinary medicine. She plans to attend the University of Tennessee Knoxville after completing the Tennessee Promise program. Her goal is to open her own veterinary practice to help all kinds of animals.

“I was raised on the farm,” said Meagan. “This is what I wanted to do from the start.” 

Left to Right: Jeremy Wright, Meagan Pack

Bell explains that the dual enrollment program is a great benefit for anyone who is planning to further their education on a post-secondary level.

 “We have a strong enrollment with LaVergne High School, Oakland High School, and Smyrna High School,” said Bell.

A Dual Enrollment student can participate in any regular course that is offered through MSCC. As with any student, all prerequisites must be met. A student must have a 3.0 GPA; must have completed the 10^th grade; have a sub-score of 19 or greater on Math, 19 or greater on Reading, and 18 or greater on English on the ACT.

If a student does not meet the ACT requirements, they can challenge their scores by taking the COMPASS test at any MSCC campus. 

Another good factor about being a Dual Enrollment student is that there are three convenient options for someone to take a course. He or she can either take the course at you’re their zoned high school, online, or on a MSCC campus.

MSCC has 48 students from LaVergne High School who come to the Smyrna campus for either biology and chemistry each day. Another 50 or so come from a variety of other schools and homeschool programs around Rutherford County. The numbers will substantially increase in the fall of 2017.

Students who are interested in the Dual Enrollment program can apply online at http://www.mscc.edu/dualjoint/ or call Mary Kay Bell directly at (615)-220-7814. There is no fee to apply, and the process is quick and easy.

With the help of the dual enrollment program, these students are taking the advantage of getting the help they need to further their education. They see this program as a way that benefits them in the future to reach their personal goals.     

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New Church Coming to Woodbury, Tennessee

By Brennan Cox

Motlow Buzz Reporter

WOODBURY, Tenn. – The Experience Community will be starting a new church branch in Woodbury, Tennessee, starting this fall with the hope of building a stronger community in Cannon County.

In early January, the head pastor for the Experience Community, Corey Trimble, announced that Josh Brooker will be taking up the role as head pastor of the future church branch in Woodbury. He will assume the new role in late Aug., 2017.

Brooker grew up up in Dalton, Georgia, then moved to Florida to study at South Eastern College.After graduating college, Brooker met his wife and moved to Murfreesboro, Tennessee, to become a teacher at Blackman high school. Brooker started attending and leading worship at the Experience Community at 521 Old Salem Road in 2009.

Josh Brooker (left)

“In 2013, I left teaching at Blackman and took on the role as executive pastor,” Brooker said. ”That kind of evolved into my becoming more of an associate pastor. I started covering for Corey. I did weddings, funerals, counseling people. For about four years that’s what I’ve been doing. And now here we are.”

The Experience Community church branch will be opening in the Cannon County Community church building located at 209 Murfreesboro Road in Woodbury.

“The building is going have a praise team, a children’s ministry, and hospitality ministry,” Brooker said. “The building can hold around 200 people. We’re going to start with two services on Sundays at 9 a.m. and a 11 a.m.”

The Experience Community has been growing rapidly since 2013 with a following of several thousand members. The Christian community is impacting Murfreesboro with its charity work and unique way of teaching and going through the Bible chapter by chapter. The new church branch plans to get involved with the community project called We Care Cannon, which helps provide school supplies,doctor check-ups and clothing for children and families who can’t afford them. The church will give out food boxes to needy families.

           

The new Woodbury campus will launch on Aug. 27 this year. For more information about the Experience Community Church, visit www.experiencecc.com

Tennessee Lawyer Jerry H. Summers Speaks at Fort Negley

 By Chanton Pace

Motlow Buzz Reporter

            NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee lawyer Jerry H. Summers spoke at Fort Negley on April 12, 2017, telling the audience that “You don't just get anywhere on your own.”

Summers, a well-known Tennessee lawyer who has argued cases before the United States and Tennessee supreme courts, provided insights on one of the most forgotten trials of the 20^th century, Schoolfield 1958.  In his book, “Rush to Justice?”, Summers recounts the trials and tribulations of Judge Raulston Schoolfield.

            “I wanted to tell this story because I feel like it is a forgotten piece of history,” said Summers.

            About 53 people showed up to the event eager to hear what Summers had to say about the topic. Audience members lined up early to hear him speak.  Summers spoke for approximately an hour and even talked some about his personal life and how he became a lawyer.

 “I went to Sewanee to earn my bachelor’s and then to University of Tennessee Knoxville to earn a law degree,” said Summers.

            “Rush to Justice?” centers on Schoolfield’s influential 1958 trial in Nashville, Tennessee.

In his book, Summers writes about the legal career of Schoolfield, including his impeachment and removal from office as a criminal law judge on charges of bribery and extorting campaign funds from racketeers.  The Tennessee Senate convicted Schoolfield of three impeachment charges of unethical conduct, plus 19 other charges.

            “Schoolfield had a lot of enemies,” he said.  “A lot of politics were involved.”

            Summers also talked about how Schoolfield was a man of the people and how much the community loved him.  “A lot of people supported Schoolfield, especially Hamilton County. Those people loved him down there.”

            After his speech, Summers gave audience members about 15 minutes to ask any questions that they had about his career or the Schoolfield 1958 trial.  One man asked Summers to say who was right or wrong in the trial.  Summers responded back, “That my friend is for you to decide.  I know that is not the answer that you want to hear, but I wanted to tell this story for what it is and not who was right or wrong.”

After his presentation, audience members lined up to meet Summers and to buy his book.

 Summers signed autographs and posed for pictures.  He even gave one child a free book and an autograph.

            “Remember that you don’t just get anywhere on your own,” he told the boy.  “Someone always helps you get there.”

            You can find Summer's book,” Rush to Justice?”, at Amazon.com for $40.

            Summers is a lifelong resident of Chattanooga, Tennessee and Hamilton County. Summers has served as president of the Tennessee Trial Lawyers Association and the Tennessee Criminal Defense Lawyers Association. He has served on the national boards of the American Association for Justice and the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, and he is a life member of both the state and national organizations.  He also has another book, “The Turtle and the Lawyer,” that talks about the people who helped him get to the position where he is.

The event was hosted by the Tennessee Historical Society. The group's next event will occur at Fort Negley on May 3, when Dr. Abigail R. Gautreau speaks about the court case “State vs. Jane, a Slave in 1841.”  For more information about the event, visit www.Tennesseehistory.org.

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Middle Tennessee State University Theatre Students Perform 'A Streetcar Named Desire'

By Shane Standifur

Motlow Buzz Reporter

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. -- Middle Tennessee State University theatre students performed the well- known drama “A Streetcar Named Desired” to a sold out crowd at Tucker Theatre on April 6.

The Tennessee Williams play, which is set in 1940s New Orleans, is known for the chaos Blanche Dubois creates when she moves into her sister’s,Stella Kowalski apartment. Blanche has very high standards and morals compared to her sister, and the people in New Orleans. She has a rough time adjusting to their way of life.

Blanche also has numerous arguments with her brother-in-law, Stanley Kowalski. Blanche’s indiscreet past comes to light in an argument with Stanley, which makes everyone think less of her. Stanley realizes that Blanche is making up stories and events that happened in her life that didn’t happen, even though Blanche thinks they did. The tension builds throughout the play until Blanche is taken away by doctors to a mental institution.

“When we were deciding what kind of play to do this semester, this particular drama was an easy one to choose,” said MTSU Artistic Director Marsha Barksy. “ It is a play that has been done for years, and our actors were very eager to do this play.”

Blanche Dubois was played by Hannah Ewing. She used an authentic Mississippian accent to pull the  audience in. Her well-spoken lines and movement kept theatre-goers guessing what was going to happen next.

Connor McCabe drew applause for playing the hot-tempered Stanley. The arguments between Stanley and Blanche felt real.He nailed the role of a man with a vicious temper.

Having a modern theatre like Tucker Theatre gives us advantages that some other theatres do not have,” said Stage Manager Megan Inmon. “ We were able to have a streetcar sound effect go over the speakers. So it sounded like a real streetcar being stopped outside of the apartment just as it would in real life.”

The talent of the artistic staff brought the well-known drama to life.  The stage featured the Kowalskis’ apartment, as well as a second-floor apartment for their friends, Steve Hubbell and Eunice Hubbell. The artistic staff created real stairs that connected the two apartments, acting as a door for actors and actresses to enter and exit the stage.

“We also had an opening and closing door sound effect so actors would not have to rely on a real door”said Inmon. Sometimes they can get tricky, and it allowed our actors and audience to use their imagination.”

Another way the talent of the artistic staff shined was the way the background was created. A green screen was projected in the very back of the stage that would change colors based on what time it was during the day. Powerlines were projected on the screen that connected to prop streetlights created by the artistic staff, this giving the effect that a real streetlight was made.

Of course, every successful drama has a great production staff, and “A Streetcar Named Desire” had one. The scene changes were smooth and fast. The sound engineers mastered a state-of-the-art speaker system, giving the audience a well-defined, crisp sound of the actor’s voices. The lighting crew never missed a beat, dimming the lights when they were supposed to, and spotlighting the actors when needed. Needless to say, “A Streetcar Named Desire” was what every audience member and theatre lover could ever hope for, a perfect play that everyone from the actors to the sound crew to the directors handled professionally.  

The next scheduled play at MTSU is “How I Learned To Drive,” which will take place at Studio Theatre from Oct. 4-13. Anyone interested in pursuing theatre at MTSU can find more information at  http://www.mtsu.edu/programs/theatre/.

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Nashville Brings Japanese Culture and Cherry Trees to the South

By Austin Clark

Motlow Buzz Reporter

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Nashville officials celebrated the ninth annual Japanese Cherry Blossom Festival on April 8 by announcing that the Japan-America Society of Tennessee Inc. has planted over 900 cherry blossom trees throughout the city.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam has partnered with Consul General of Japan Masami Kinefuchi to set a goal of planting 1,000 cherry trees throughout Nashville’s Metro Parks to glorify the long-lasting friendship between Japan and Tennessee. The Cherry Blossom Festival has made this goal possible through the celebration of Japanese culture and traditions.

The Nashville Cherry Blossom Festival is held every spring in Nashville Public Square to commemorate the blossoming of cherry trees. The festival is a free, non-profit celebration that includes activities such as Japanese games, food catered from local restaurants, merchandise, lectures, musical performances, artwork exhibits, martial arts, traditional clothing, and much more.

CEO Leigh Wieland said that the numbers attending the festival grow each year. The dramatic increase in the community’s attendance makes it possible for a genuine experience of Japan, free of charge, for thousands of individuals who will never have the opportunity to travel and experience it for themselves.

“Over the last nine years, we have planted over 900 Japanese Cherry Blossom trees in Metro Parks and public spaces, beautifying Nashville’s landscape for all to enjoy as a reminder of Japan-Tennessee friendship,” Wieland said.

In Japan, the cherry blossom is a symbolic representation of life. When these trees blossom in early spring, their bright colors serve as a visual representation of how delicate life is and how we take it for granted. These people not only come together to admire this beautiful phenomenon, but to also celebrate the underlying meaning of life as a whole.

Festival attendees enjoyed a taste of Japan through local food vendors that included sushi, fresh hibachi, fried rice, and various dessert options. The full experience also included a marketplace that sold anime merchandise from past conventions, local Japanese paintings, limited edition collector’s items, and hand-sewn komotos.

Established in 2000, JAST is a non-profit organization that is funded by individual and corporate membership fees and grants from government institutions and private foundations. Headquartered in Nashville, JAST is overseen by a 25-member volunteer board of directors from leading businesses, institutions and organizations from across the state. Honorary co-chairs of the society include Haslam and Kinefuchi.

As another annual festival comes to an end, JAST inches closer to its goal with less than 100 cherry blossom trees remaining to be planted. The group hopes to achieve its goal by next year.

“We welcome the involvement of corporate and civic groups, student organizations and individuals interested in helping us raise funds for the tree planting and festival.” Wieland said. “We also welcome volunteers to help with tree planting and on-site at the festival each year.”

Links for the online donations and volunteer sign-ups are found on the festival website at www.nashvillecherryblossomfestival.org 

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Stewarts Creek High School Baseball Defeats La Vergne High School, 9-3

By Heath Pope

Motlow Buzz Reporter

SMYRNA, Tenn.-- Stewarts Creek High School Baseball defeated La Vergne High School on April 19 in La Vergne by a score of 9-3, propelling the Red Hawks to the number one spot in district play.

The Red Hawks played well on both sides of the plate, while on the road against the Wolverines. Pitcher Austin Steel earned the win against Anthony Norman, the pitcher for La Vergne, allowing eight hits and three runs but striking out nine on the night. The win improves the Red Hawks district record to 12-4, while being 18-7 overall on the season.

"I hope it takes some pressure off our hitters,” said Steel. “We feel like all we need is one run and take a lead and play solid defense.”

La Vergne couldn’t drive home runs against Steel, who has been phenomenal this season being 6-0 as a starter. Daniel Freeman’s two-run homerun opened up the flood gates for the Red Hawks’ scoring on the night.

This win for SCHS highlights the athletic success that the entire school has been seeing this year. Since the school opened in 2013, it seems like all of the athletic departments have improved significantly into a real threat in not only regional play, but competing for state honors as well.

“Our coaches never made excuses and have always strived for excellence,” said SCHS Principal Dr. Clark Harrell.

On March 8, SCHS women's basketball team made it all the way to state but fell just short to Dickson County in a game that took two overtimes. The Lady Red Hawks finished the season 23-7, second in the district and their best overall record as a program.

The SCHS football team made huge strides this past fall, making it into the Region

5-A playoffs for the first time in school history with a district record of 5-2. This is a huge deal for the team and Coach David Martin after struggling the first two seasons to earn a few wins. Last year, the Red Hawks barely missed the playoffs, and the team did not shy away this year, finally making it happen for the school.

SCHS has seen a steady incline of winning, experiencing success in every area of athletics. This has been a year they will never forget. With women's basketball making it to the state playoffs, men's basketball making it to regionals, football making the regional playoffs, and the success baseball and softball are having, SCHS is going to be a major threat for a while in district 5-A.

 "To be a part of this starting of a tradition is special for the parents, faculty and students involved,” said Harrell. “It’s just special.”

For more information about athletics at Stewarts Creek High School, visit http://www.dnj.com/search/stewarts%20creek/

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Motlow Student Government Election Brings New Changes

By Sydney Smith

Motlow Buzz Reporter

                SMYRNA, Tenn. – The new advisement team for the Motlow State Community College Student Government Association has big changes planned for the Smyrna campus following the 2017 SGA elections.  

                The 2017 SGA elections have started on the MSCC campuses. E-mails have been sent out, and students were encouraged to vote for their favorite candidates between April 18 and April 20. Applications are now closed, and new petitions are no longer being accepted as the winners are being chosen.

                The Smyrna campus has seven positions for students in the SGA: three seats for sophomore senator, three seats for freshman senator, and one seat for vice-president. Students Jacob Sharp, Virginia DaForno, and Mollie McDonald applied for vice-president. Justin Cardwell was the only candidate for senator.

                McDonald won the vice presidency, and Cardwell was voted senator. The two candidates who did not win for vice president will be offered senator positions instead.

                Along with the new candidates, the SGA has been undergoing new changes to the student advisement team. Previously, students were advised by Assistant Director of Student Services Gary Winton. However, Winton stepped down last fall. Beginning this year, students will now be under the collected advisement of Adjunct Professor of Social Science William Kraus, Instructor of Biology Stacy Dowd, and Instructor of Chemistry and Physical Science Nicole Speelman.

                The new advisement team is very passionate about the SGA and increasing its role on the Smyrna campus. One of the biggest changes to the SGA will be an increased number of meetings to help raise awareness for new students to get involved.

                Raising awareness for the SGA is one of the biggest obstacles for the new advisement team, and the advisors hope that the newly elected students will be able to bridge the gap between staff and students at the school. The new SGA team plans to increase communication between campuses as well, to better organize school events.

“We don’t want to be just the free food club.” Dowd said, “We want to push more of the behind-the-scenes aspect of it, having a way to be involved and shape the campus.”

                In addition to raised awareness, a special SGA leadership course has been planned to help students get even further involved in campus government, according to Kraus.  The course would focus on leadership skills in a local government setting and would encourage students to get more involved on their campus. Due to a tight course schedule for the upcoming fall semester, the course will likely be pushed back until the 2018 semesters.

                With all the changes planned, the new year promises to be exciting for both staff and students on the Smyrna campus. As the third building breaks ground this summer, SGA members will have plenty of decisions to make.

                Although applications for the current election are closed, Dowd stressed that it’s important for students to get involved on their campus. SGA meetings will be open for all students to attend, SGA official or not.

                Students interested in getting involved should keep an eye on their Motlow E-mail for news regarding SGA meetings. In addition, students can visit the MSCC website for more information at http://www.mscc.edu/sga/.  

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Walmart Plans to Revolutionize Retail Online and Delivery Services

By Samuel Pitts

Motlow Buzz Reporter

SMYRNA, Tenn. -- The Walmart store at 570 Enon Springs Road East in Smyrna, Tennessee, plans to begin offering new delivery services that bring groceries to customers’ homes using local Uber or Lyft drivers.

The Walmart parent company in Arkansas announced a partnership with the public transportation companies Uber and Lyft in June 2016. This collaboration will allow customers to order groceries online for delivery to them within the safety and convenience  of their homes.

“Walmart decided to start this program to extend another service to its clientele,” Co-Manager of the Smyrna Walmart Kenny Roberts said. “And it opens the door to new clientele that does not wish or is not able to make it to the store.”

A specialized associate loading an online order

The process begins with a customer placing a grocery order online and choosing a delivery time period. Specialized associates will review the list of items and prepare the order. An associate will then make a request for a driver from Uber or Lyft to visit to the store, pick up the order, and deliver it directly to the customer’s location.

The service is available within Uber and Lyft designated driving areas. The cost of the order increases with a greater travel distance.

“Unlike other online delivery programs, Walmart’s services are free,” Roberts said. “With other grocers you pay a fee for the pickup service. The order is the only charge. As of now, I think we are the only big box retailer offering the delivery option.”

Right now, the program is being tested in Denver and Phoenix. So far, results have shown fairly positive reactions. The company hopes the program will be headed to all stores by the end of the year.

Shoppers will be able to order from a selection of 40,000 items. Walmart offers 30,000 food products and 10,000 household items such as cosmetics, diapers and pet supplies.

The Smyrna Walmart and its customers will benefit from the new delivery service. It’s currently one of the highest-grossing Walmart stores in the nation, although it is one of the smallest by comparison in size. Adding this program will increase company profit and help it compete with Amazon.

Many jobs will be created. There will be a need for more specialized associates, as well as drivers for Uber and Lyft as the program grows and becomes more popular to use. It will also grow the Online Grocery Pickup service, which will also bring more employment opportunities to the store.

“I think it will be one of the best choices for home delivery,” Roberts said. “It will combine Walmart’s low prices with the ability to get it the same day for a small fee.”

Amazon is the chief competitor of Walmart. The Seattle-based company is the largest online-based retailer in the world in total sales and market capitalization. Amazon surpassed Wal-Mart in 2015.

Graph indicating Amazon surpassing Wal-Mart

Walmart is an American multinational retailing corporation based in Bentonville, Arkansas. The company was founded by Sam Walton in 1962 in hopes of helping customers and communities save money and live better.

Although the new service is not yet available, you can order groceries online to be picked up at the store by going to https://grocery.walmart.com.

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Motlow College Seeks New Building for Record-Breaking Attendance

By Mike Sparks

Motlow Buzz Reporter

SMYRNA, Tenn. -- It is no surprise that the Smyrna Motlow State Community College Center is Tennessee’s fastest growing college with 2,500 students this spring semester, much to the credit of Gov. Bill Haslam’s vision of Tennessee Promise.

Haslam’s Tennessee Promise has been a resounding success. With that success has come a fast-paced 32 percent rate of growth between the fall of 2014 and 2016. The two-building Smyrna Motlow State Community College campus currently has only 33,000 square feet. The classrooms are packed with 35 students each, teachers sharing small closet-sized offices, no area to host large lectures or a large gathering, and a small overcrowded library. The need for this new addition is greater now than ever before.

The rapid enrollment at the Smyrna Campus has led to the Tennessee Higher Education Commission and Board of Regents both prioritizing the Smyrna Motlow’s third building as the number one priority in Tennessee for higher education.

The cost of the new 79,443-square-foot building is $27 million. The college is required to raise $2.7 million or 10 percent from local sources such as nonprofits, local county, and municipal governments.  

The new three-story building will be located at the northwest corner of the campus. It will host a much-needed 22 classrooms, one-stop shop for recruiting and financial aid, physics lab, general biology lab, computer science lab, art lab, chemistry lab, anatomy and physiology lab, EMS lab, nursing lab, medical technician lab, mechatronics lab, 15 private faculty offices, and additional office space. Students will be pleased with the new Cyber Café, which will provide seating for students to interact, study, eat, and much more. In order to be more efficient with space, rooms can be utilized together to accommodate up to 350 students. The new library will boast over 6,500 square feet and be available to the general public as well.

“I’m very excited about the new library, which will host 60 computers, open space for 60 students, eight group study rooms, stack space for up to 10,000 volumes and more,” said Campus Librarian Paige Hendrickson. “The students are extremely excited about not only the new library, but also the new Cyber Café.”

In 2014, Tennessee was the only state offering a wide-reaching program that gave recent high school graduates the chance to go to community college without paying tuition. With the ever-increasing cost of a college education, Tennessee Promise came as a relief to many struggling families and students. College tuition debt has amassed to $1.4 trillion today, leaving the average college graduate with roughly $37,000 in student debt, up 6 percent from last year, according to the Federal Reserve.

Educational experts say Tennessee's example as a higher education trailblazer could help shape higher education policy for years as students move through the education pipeline. The Tennessee Promise is an increasingly popular model as Tennessee plays an important role in the education debate.

Many may not be aware that the campus library is open to the general public, which helps with those who may not have Internet access and who may want to apply for jobs online, email or other needs.  For more information on how to get involved with Motlow State and the great things that are happening, visit www.mscc.edu or call (615) 220-7800.

Haslam’s ‘Drive to 55’ Initiative sets the goal to increase the percentage of Tennesseans with a postsecondary credential to meet Tennessee’s current and future workforce and economic needs. The governor has championed both his tuition-free college and the Drive to 55 initiative. For more information on Tennessee Promise or Drive to 55, visit www.TnPromise.gov or www.Driveto55.org