First-Generation College Student Day celebrates the courage and determination of students who are the first in their families to pursue higher education. This milestone represents more than just academic success; it’s a symbol of resilience, sacrifice, and the pursuit of a brighter future.
For Knox County seniors Fiona Chen and Saomy Rodriguez, being first-generation college students means embracing the opportunities their families dreamed of and setting a new path for generations to come. Fiona, a student at Gibbs High, and Saomy, a senior at West High, each bring unique perspectives and inspiring goals as they prepare to make their mark on the world. In their stories, we see a shared desire to honor their roots while building futures of their own.
Fiona Chen: Embracing New Horizons
Fiona Chen, a senior at Gibbs High, is ready to pursue her dream of studying international business and public policy.
With roots in both China and the U.S., Fiona has grown up with a blend of cultures, an experience that has shaped her aspirations.
“I want to use my bilingual skills to travel and learn about different cultures,” she said. “There’s so much value in understanding what makes cultures the same and different.”
Fiona’s parents immigrated from China to America in search of a better life, working tirelessly to build a family business. Witnessing their dedication has been a powerful motivator.
“People think owning a business is a dream job, but it’s so demanding,” Fiona said. “I’m grateful for their hard work, but I want to find my own path.”
Fiona’s involvement in DECA has also influenced her college goals. She’s active in business competitions and recently managed social media for her family’s business.
“DECA taught me so much about networking,” she said. “It’s one of the reasons I’m so excited about majoring in international business.”
For Fiona, being a first-generation college student means embracing opportunities her family could only dream of.
Saomy Rodriguez: A Future of Service and Connection
As a senior at West High, Saomy Rodriguez has big dreams of joining the Navy and studying chemical engineering and human resources.
Originally from Venezuela, Saomy moved to the U.S. at 14, a transition she describes as challenging but motivating.
“In my country, I always wanted to join the military, but it wasn’t possible,” she said. “Now, I’m looking forward to exploring the Navy.”
Saomy’s drive to make a difference is deeply personal. Her mother moved to the U.S. due to Venezuela’s political situation, a decision that changed Saomy’s life.
“It was tough to leave our home, but it’s also a chance to build a better future,” she said.
Being a first-generation college student brings its own set of challenges, especially when navigating the complexities of scholarships and applications.
With support from organizations like Centro Hispano, Saomy has gained the guidance she needs to pursue her goals.
“Centro Hispano has been amazing. They’ve really helped me navigate the process,” she said.
Ultimately, Saomy dreams of connecting her two homes by starting a business that promotes trade between the U.S. and Venezuela, and create a foundation to help families.
“I want to help as many people as I can,” she said, excited for the future.
Career Empowerment and Preparation
Knox County Schools is dedicated to Career Empowerment and Preparation. At KCS, we are committed to preparing students for graduation and life after graduation. By providing students with early and meaningful opportunities to explore colleges and KCS is reimagining the high school experience through the 865 Academies to prepare students for their future after graduation, whether that means enrolling in postsecondary studies; enlisting in service to their country; or finding employment in a high-wage, high-skill, and in-demand profession, with an entrepreneurial mindset. Learn more about this initiative at knoxschools.org/academies.
Each day begins with the Cadet’s Creed: a sworn oath promising honor, patriotism, and courage.
Normally a recitation that can be heard from Gibbs High School, it’s now being echoed across the street at Gibbs Middle School, where the district’s first and only middle school Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (JROTC) program can be found.
Spearheaded by a dedicated staff and met with enthusiasm by students, this initiative aims not only to instill discipline and leadership skills but also to lay the groundwork for a seamless transition into high school.
Sgt. 1st Class Stephen Lundy began the half-mile trek to GMS in the fall to teach the class about decision-making, self-discipline, and team building skills to positively impact students’ academic and personal development.
“It’s going to help some kids in class, especially those who are preparing to transition to high school,” Lundy said. “Everybody’s just nervous going into high school, but being in JROTC helps with that move and to motivate young people to be better citizens.”
“I’m so proud that we are able to provide this additional opportunity to our students,” Reed said. “They’re earning a high school credit in eighth grade, which is an incredible leg-up. When they go across the street, they will join the high school program and they just build from there in a nice, seamless transition.”
Assistant Principal Scott Reed underscores the program’s significance in offering additional opportunities for student advancement.
Moreover, participation in JROTC cultivates a sense of responsibility and pride in students. Cadet Braxton Graves shared his experience of carrying the flag during basketball games, highlighting the newfound opportunities for involvement and leadership.
“Being able to carry the flag is a huge responsibility. I was a little nervous at first, but I’ve gained so much confidence through this and I’m more comfortable handling the flag,” Graves said. “It’s a really cool, unique experience that not a lot of people get to do.”
The debut of Gibbs Middle School’s JROTC program signifies a significant milestone in the school and district’s commitment to providing career exploration experiences at an early age.
By instilling discipline, fostering leadership, and offering early academic credits, the program sets students on a path toward academic excellence and personal growth. As the program continues to flourish, it promises to shape the next generation of leaders and achievers in our community.
Reed adds, “This is opening doors for our students and exposing them early to opportunities they might not have known about before.”
For National Coaches Day, Hall Pass sat down with four Knox County coaches, all of whom are highly respected. For this piece, they dug through a lifetime of memories and shared advice for their students.
Note: Responses have been lightly edited for length or clarity.
Gwen Jackson, Girls Basketball Coach at Austin-East High School
How long have you been coaching, and what initially drew you to be a coach?
I have been coaching since 2005. I tore my ACL and was pregnant with my daughter when I was released from the Phoenix Mercury. I wanted to do something different while I was rehabbing my knee and coaching was it. I started out coaching at my old high school in Eufaula, Alabama where my career began, and coached my baby cousin Terran Condrey. She went on to play at Baylor, and she played and won a National Championship there playing alongside Brittney Griner. Then I coached in the CIAA at Saint Paul’s College for three years as an assistant coach and one year as a head coach. Then I coached at Austin-East High School from 2012 to 2018. I took a small break and then had the opportunity to come back and coach last school year, and I am still here to date. Coaching is my passion, my calling. I love it to the fullest and thank God for the platform.
What is the best memory you have as a coach?
My best memories as a coach are coaching my daughter and my son. Tennessee Knockout Elite is my and my husband’s AAU team and watching my daughter Janiya and my son Jaiden follow my legacy is such an honor and a blessing. Watching them be coached by their father is even bigger. They are truly something special.
What life lessons do you try to teach your student-athletes?
I try to teach them about being a good person, a good student, and then a good athlete. Grades and character are highly important as an athlete. Athletes represent a brand, a name, an organization, or a school. Playing for a team is bigger than you. Then I focus on competing, giving it our all, and being accountable is important.
Eddie Courtney, Football Coach at Farragut High School
How long have you been coaching, and what initially drew you to be a coach?
I’ve been coaching for over 45 years, and I’ve been here at Farragut for most of those years. It’s been a good place to work, teach, coach, and have kids come through here. It’s been a very positive thing for me all these years. That’s why I’ve stayed here. I’ve had some opportunities to go to other places this is where I was comfortable to coach the way I felt like I needed to coach. The community wants successful things going on around them, and they support you. It’s been a very positive thing for us.
What’s your favorite thing about Farragut?
We just try to be the best we can here. In this community, they want people to do well, they support you, and try to give you all the resources they can. I guess now I’ve been through five or six principals all these years, and they’ve all been people who’ve kept up this reputation and tradition we built here. We’ve had some really good principals here. I’ve seen a lot of kids come through here who wanted to go college, get a degree, be successful, and be a good athlete.
What life lessons do you try to teach your student-athletes?
I teach all my kids a little bit about being an adult, decision-making, and being a strong person. You live with integrity. You stand on your own two feet, do the best you can to work hard for things. Things are not going to be given to you. When you have setbacks, you have to revert back to your training or the culture of your program because those are things that carry you through. If those are not solid things, then you’ll stay scattered and not know the direction you’re trying to go. Just be real, take advice, and be coachable. Communicate with your coaches and your teachers, and give them respect because they’re trying to help you. I also tell them to find a passion they really enjoy doing. The sooner you find out what it is you really want to do, the sooner you can apply yourself to be successful in doing it.
Carol Mitchell, Softball Coach at Gibbs High School
How long have you been coaching, and what initially drew you to be a coach?
This is my 31st year of coaching. I initially had no intentions of being an educator or a coach. That was not something that was on my radar. I was a math major and I didn’t know what I was going to do with a math degree. I took some education classes and ended up getting certified to teach. It just so happened that I went to school here and there was a math position available. My old softball coach, who was still here coaching at the time, was like, “Come on, let’s go.” I helped him my very first year, and then the second year, he went to coach baseball, and I took over the softball job. It’s been interesting. It seems like it’s gone by really fast.
What is the best memory you have as a coach?
It’s really hard to narrow it down. The obvious choices would be the state championship teams. In a few of those state championships, we were kind of expected to win. 2017 was our most recent state championship and that one was special. We’d always been a AA school, but for four years we were bumped into AAA. I think I used it as motivation to be better because people knew we were good at AA, but they didn’t think that we would do very well in AAA. When we ended up winning the state, that kind of solidified that we could play at pretty much any level. That was a really proud moment.
What life lessons do you try to teach your student-athletes?
It doesn’t really matter how talented you are, if you work hard to achieve something, you can achieve that goal. I’ve had situations where a kid is a sophomore and doesn’t get to start until their senior year, but they keep working and finally, they make it to starter. Or maybe they never make it to be a starter, but they are one of the leaders on the team because of their work ethic. You can outwork people at work and be a great employee. You can work hard and be a valuable person on a team, at your job, or in life.
Don Madgett, Track & Field and Cross-Country Coach at South-Doyle High School
How long have you been coaching, and what initially drew you to be a coach?
This is my 27th year as head coach in both cross country and track. I think probably my high school experience led me to this life. Cross country has a lifestyle that goes with it. The team culture and being able to maintain that as a coach was something that was appealing to me.
When I started teaching, I knew from reading the paper that there had been some good runners here at South-Doyle. One of them, Anthony Norris, is the principal of South-Doyle Middle. He was an all-state runner-up, but he had run for Coach Prince, who was still here when I got here. He was a mentor of mine for a bit, but what I found was that this place had a rich history in this building. There have only been three coaches ever at South-Doyle since 1968. Melvin Maxwell was the first, and he coached for about 29 years. Then Prince was the coach for a bit, and then I have been the coach for the past 27 years.
I’ve always held the ideal of the long-term teacher coach. Community coaches have value. Some coaches change schools. Some only stay in the profession for a little while, but I think the ideal for me has always been to stay in one place. Once I found my place, I would want to stay forever if I could. As for why I’ve stayed here, as one of our assistant principals said, “At this school, running was sacred.” It was the highest compliment I’ve been paid in my coaching career.
What is the best memory you have as a coach?
Successes are always nice. In my first year, we qualified for state, and we had the region meet down along the river in Sequoyah Hills. There was a little dock going out into the river and the team ran and jumped off it for their celebration afterward. That was the fall of 1997, my first year as head coach.
What life lessons do you try to teach your student-athletes?
Cross country is the sport where you can find that you can do things personally you never thought you could do, and that’s something that you can take into other realms in the larger life and bigger world.
This sport is one where you can come to high school without all the skill sets you might need in other sports, but if you’re willing to work at it, be patient, and put some time in, you can be successful in high school and have a great career.
