Roane State Community College

Members of the Roane State Middle College program, classes 2018 and 2019, are pictured with some of the sponsors of the program, including Teresa Duncan and Ann Morphew, representing the Sherrill family, Michael Brown of Mike’s Body Shop, and Gil Barkley of All-Star Promotions, who designed and made the T-shirts.

Oct. 31, 2017

By Bob Fowler
Roane State staff writer

All 93 Roane State Middle College students can now let the world know of their participation in the innovative college program simply by wearing a T-shirt.

Thanks to sponsors and a college presidential mini-grant, the students received free red-and-white T-shirts sporting the program’s emblem.

Sponsor donations exceeded the cost of the shirts, and the overage was used to provide books and scholarships, said Ann Morphew, an adjunct faculty member involved in the Middle College program.

Morphew said the following businesses and individuals helped sponsor the T-shirts:

• Gold ($250) – Patterson’s Home Appliance Center, Perma-Fix Environmental Services, Don Eduardo’s Mexican Grill, Roane Street Grill and ORNL Federal Credit Union.
• Silver ($100) – Mike’s Body Shop, All-Star Promotions and the Sherrill Family.
• Bronze ($50) – Browder’s Ace Hardware.

The Middle College program enables eligible high school students to attend Roane State Community College classes and obtain an associate’s degree while completing their high school graduation requirements at the same time.

“I love everything about Middle College,” said Rockwood High School student Natalie Slowik.

“It gives me a lot of inspiration in the morning, and I feel great after taking classes at Roane State. I would not be able to be a part of Middle College if it was not for our sponsors and my scholarship.”

For more information about Roane State’s Middle College program, contact David Lane at lanedr@roanestate.edu, or call 865-354-3000, extension 4223.