By Bob FowlerRoane State staff writer Deborah Porter says winning Roane State’s highest student honor, the President’s Award, is the “most amazing experience I’ve had in my life.” “There are no words to describe the emotions behind even being considered,” said Porter, a 47-year-old Powell resident and mother of three …

By Bob FowlerRoane State staff writer Losing a job and the pandemic hitting in March 2020 were catalysts for Laura Looney enrolling in Roane State. Now she’s got her associate degree in paralegal studies, having graduated with highest honors in May 2022. “I was really scared to get back in …

Vanessa Turpin, a recent graduate from Roane State’s Chemical Engineering Technology program. By Bob FowlerRoane State staff writer Vanessa Turpin just graduated from Roane State’s Chemical Engineering Technology program, and she says that diploma means “the sky’s the limit” as far as job prospects are concerned. “There are so many …

By Bob FowlerRoane State staff writer It’s back by popular demand. Roane State’s Healthcare Job Fair was revived April 19 at the request of healthcare providers in urgent need of employees. Roane State dental hygiene students check out the Fast Pace Urgent Care table during the community college’s Healthcare Job …

By Bob FowlerRoane State staff writer A Roane State associate professor of English who has won numerous prizes for her poetry has now been inducted into the East Tennessee Writers Hall of Fame. DeAnna Stephens and other writers will be recognized by the nonprofit group Friends of Literacy during an …

By Bob FowlerRoane State staff writer Roane State will play a key role in an ambitious program to establish the Tennessee Valley as the national hub for machine tool research, development and training. The community college’s nationally recognized cyber defense department has received a $250,000 grant to develop training for …

By Bob Fowler Roane State staff writer When she opened her counseling office in May, Jessica Bolin Edwards said she worried that it might not work out. “I felt like I would fail,’’ she admitted. Eight months later, Edwards has 50 clients and a waiting list, has moved into a …

By Bob FowlerRoane State staff writer The new Anderson County Higher Education Center “is an example of what should be happening” to spur workforce development, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee told a large crowd on Friday, December 10. Gesturing to students in the back who will be attending classes at the …

By Bob FowlerRoane State staff writer Matthew A. Jones, a member of the Pigeon Forge Fire Department, has been named the 2021 Roane State Community College Paramedic Student of the Year, joining a select group of more than 40 individuals since the inception of the award more than 35 years …

By Bob FowlerRoane State staff writer This is a paradox. While she couldn’t stomach the sight of blood and didn’t want to be a nurse at first, Roane State student Brittany Irwin is on the road to becoming a registered nurse. One reason: “When I set a goal, I always …