student success

The Tennessee Board of Regents’s Statewide Outstanding Achievement Award, better known as SOAR, aims to reward the excellence of students, faculty, and staff alike. Excellence is exactly what Alex Moody demonstrated with his artwork, “Tenalach,” earning first place at the awards ceremony.

Please allow me to introduce you to Carolina Kelly, a second-year Communications Studies major here at Vol State. She’s originally from White House, Tenn., and is on track to graduate this May with her Associate of Science degree.

And, as of last week, she is the Tennessee Board of Regents Community College Student of the Year for 2025. We’re incredibly proud, of course, and I think you deserve to get to know her better. 

(Answers lightly edited for brevity and clarity.)

Why did you choose Vol State?

It has been a busy year for Shay Dowell, a criminal justice student here at Vol State. In April, she competed in Chattanooga at the SkillsUSA State Leadership & Skills Competition, where she won a Gold Medal. Two months later, Shay went to Atlanta for the national SkillsUSA competition and finished eighth in the nation. During the fourth week in September, she had the unique opportunity to go to Washington, D.C.

Gisela Olalde Granados is creating the life she wants, and it starts with a plan.

“Set every morning to make a plan,” she says. “What things you need to do, what things can wait, and what things you don’t have to do.”

Gisela never dreamed she would be a nursing student at Vol State. She grew up in Mexico, earned a bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, and had a full-time job working on computers. A career in nursing was not part of her plan, not at the time.

One minute into a conversation with Katlyn Blake and you will learn she has a clear vision of her future, and she is driven to succeed.

Katlyn is a Senior at Middle College High School, attending high school and college classes on the Vol State Gallatin Campus. Katlyn will graduate in May with her Associate of Science degree before she receives her High School Diploma. For Katlyn, Middle College was a no-brainer. “I always tell everyone I think they should do it,” she said. “It helped me grow. I think it prepares you for college.”

Sarah Cannon, mezzo-soprano, will be graduating this year and heading off to continue her studies at Austin Peay State University. She will major in Music Education with a concentration in voice and has received a $21,000 scholarship to APSU.

Dana Sloan completed her radiologic technology program at Volunteer State Community College in 2022 and is now working on an Associate of Applied Science degree in nuclear medicine technology at Chattanooga State Community College’s Nuclear Medicine Technology program.