BBBTV12 Serving Anderson, Roane, and Morgan Counties
By Deborah Robbins, Roane State Staff Writer
Each year, Roane State Community College selects a standout student to receive its highest honor: the President’s Award. Nominations flow in, finalists are carefully chosen, and the announcement is made during Academic Awards Night a few weeks prior to graduation.
On April 23, 19-year-old Aaron Summerall learned he was the 2026 President’s Award recipient. The accolade is the latest addition to his resume, which will soon include Roane State graduate.
Summerall already held titles ranging from Student Government Association Senator, HOSA International Executive Council Central Region Vice President, and inaugural Student Leadership Cohort member to entrepreneur, pastry chef, and trombone enthusiast.
He grew up in Rockwood, has traveled across the world, and explored the hollers of East Tennessee right here at home, where he remembers the stories of everyone he meets.
Those who know Summerall say he has made a difference in the lives of others by understanding and embodying what it means to be a leader – choosing service, connection, and, above all, people.
Summerall said his greatest achievement is just around the corner when he will be able to move his tassel to the left during Roane State’s spring commencement. He and his siblings are the first in their generation to graduate college.
“Being first-generation means learning without a guide,” Summerall said. “When I walk across the stage, it means honoring where I come from while stepping into what is possible.”
Karen Brunner, Roane State’s vice president for institutional effectiveness, submitted Summerall’s name for consideration for the President’s Award earlier this year. President Chris Whaley selected him from a group of 10 finalists, citing among many attributes his academic success, campus involvement, and dedication to the community.
“Extraordinary has just become the baseline for Aaron,” Whaley said. “If you’ve had the pleasure of meeting him, you know how deserving he is of every honor, every award, every compliment. There is no limit to what he can achieve, and I know I speak for all of us at Roane State when I say we cannot wait to see what the future holds. We are so proud to count him among our graduates.”
During the Awards Night presentation, Summerall said he was struck by the crowd cheering him on. He shared about the foundation that kept him going through it all: his family.
“I thought about my grandparents while receiving the award,” Summerall said. “I knew this moment was not just about me. It was about everyone who had supported and guided me along the way.”
Summerall was raised closely by his grandmother, who played a central role in shaping his upbringing. While his family’s journey included challenges, including his mother’s battle with addiction, it has always been rooted in love, perseverance, and growth.
His mother has since found stability and continues to be an important part of his life. Long before leadership titles and recognition, Summerall said there was a kitchen that molded him.
“My grandmother never finished high school, and before I ever learned to read a textbook, I learned to read a recipe,” Summerall explained. “The kitchen became my classroom, and that is where I learned discipline, patience, and belief in myself.”
Baking opened his eyes to service as a child, and during the COVID-19 pandemic, passion transformed into action when he created tasty treats to give to healthcare workers. That passion is now a successful small business dubbed “Aaron’s Place” selling more than 2,000 desserts while giving back to the community.
Food and service morphed once again when he was accidentally placed in a health science class at Rockwood High School. He was later invited to a HOSA club meeting, and Summerall said his life was never the same. He further honed his confidence and transitioned into chapter, state, and international HOSA titles.
“HOSA isn’t about just learning health skills, because for me it was about being seen, supported, and welcomed into something bigger than myself,” Summerall said. “It helped connect me to who I was and to who I could become.”
HOSA’s influence guided him to health advocacy with focuses on rural nutritional disparities. And while earning his associate degree, courses in communications, biology, sociology, and math helped him find his voice, understand the science of his advocacy, see the systems that education could help change, and develop critical thinking skills.
“Roane State taught me how to adapt, stay curious, and build meaning with what I had,” Summerall said. “It helped me move from questioning whether I belonged to asking how I could contribute. At Roane State, I found an environment where effort mattered, where people supported you without judgment, and where professors noticed growth.”
Summerall chose to honor RSCC’s Melanie Hildebrandt, associate professor of speech, when receiving the President’s Award in April. He said Hildebrandt was crucial in helping him find his voice.
“The acknowledgement of a moment in Aaron’s life journey prompts reflection and appreciation for those around us,” Hildebrandt said. “I am proud of Aaron for his curiousness, determination, and forward movement in life, and for his eagerness to take full advantage of tools provided in our 7 a.m. communications class. Aaron’s recognition brings me blessings of surprise, humility, and honor.”
Summerall will be transferring to the University of Tennessee, Knoxville this fall to complete his bachelor’s degree in public affairs and health policy. His next goal will be to pursue a master’s in public health policy.
As the President Award recipient, Summerall will have the distinct honor of delivering a speech to his fellow graduates during commencement ceremonies held May 8-9 on Roane State’s flagship campus in Harriman. He will also be featured in a special video message to the Class of 2026 that will play before his graduation ceremony.
Roane State provides a live stream of its commencement ceremonies. To watch graduation online, visit roanestate.edu/ceremony and choose the live stream link for each event.
