Class of 2024: Cap and gown pickups begin April 15 at the Harriman and Oak Ridge bookstores. Bookstore hours are 8am-4:30pm ET Monday-Thursday. Visit the commencement ceremony webpage for additional info.
Jessica Davis
July 7, 2015
After leaving high school, Jessica Davis tried the odd-jobs plan.
She took time off from school. She worked various jobs. After a few years, she decided the odd-jobs plan was not for her.
“I realized that’s not what I wanted to do for the rest of my life,” she said.
Instead, she enrolled in classes at Roane State Community College’s Campbell County campus. She plans to graduate next spring, transfer to the University of Tennessee and pursue a bachelor’s degree in nursing. Her long-term goal is to become a nurse practitioner.
“Once I got here, it was awesome,” Davis said of Roane State’s campus in LaFollette. “I love everyone here. If I could stay here, I would. Once I started back to school, I was ready to be serious.”
Davis’ interest in nursing stemmed from her mother’s battle with diabetes. Davis lost her mother right after high school.
“That experience with my mom stayed with me,” Davis said. “As a nurse, I think I can have an impact on someone. I really do want to help people.”
Davis said she is also fascinated by biology, and she loved her biology course with Ashley Galloway.
“My teacher is awesome,” Davis said. “She is tough, but she will help you. I think it’s all interesting, everything that goes on in one cell in our body. It’s amazing.”
In addition to taking the courses she needs for her career, Davis said she is also learning the study skills she needs to be a successful college student.
“It was better for me to start out here rather than being in big classes at UT with hundreds of people,” Davis said. “I understand what college is about and how it works. You learn how to be on your own. In college, it’s up to you. You have to have the motivation and desire to do it.”
Davis wants to encourage others to continue their education, even if they face obstacles. Davis, for example, left high school before graduating. She earned her GED, which opened the door to go to college.
“I hope my experience touches more people, especially students who may not have graduated from high school,” Davis said.
Fall classes begin Aug. 24.
Tennessee’s Community Colleges is a system of 13 colleges offering a high-quality, affordable, convenient and personal education to prepare students to achieve their educational and career goals in two years or less. All colleges in the system offer associate degree and certificate programs, workforce development programs and transfer pathways to four-year degrees. For more information, please visit tncommunitycolleges.org.
Roane State Community College does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, ethnicity or national origin, sex, disability, age, status as protected veteran or any other class protected by Federal or State laws and regulation and by Tennessee board of Regents policies with respect to employment, programs, and activities. View full non-discrimination policy.
