Breaking barriers and changing lives—that’s the inspirational legacy left behind by Iris Sesko, the first woman to graduate from Chattanooga State’s Civil Engineering Technology program. 

Sesko, a 1975 graduate, was honored posthumously for her academic and professional achievements during an awards ceremony for the Chattanooga State Alumni Association’s first-ever Outstanding Alumni Awards on January 29. 

Born during the Great Depression, Sesko worked hard to prove herself in the male-dominated profession of engineering, completing a bachelor’s degree in 1990 after 15 years of educational perseverance. 

Sesko’s award was accepted by her daughter, Sharon Butler, who told of her mother’s lifelong commitment to learning. “Her story is a testament to the power of education to transform lives,” Butler said. “My mother changed her own life as well as mine and my daughter's lives by modeling to us that sticking to it to get your degree was worth it.” 

Born during the Great Depression, Sesko learned the value of hard work from her parents, neither of whom finished high school but strove to inspire a successful family. Her career began after high school when she joined the TVA secretary pool and worked her way up the ranks. 

Eventually, Sesko put her high school math and art education to work, negotiating to be trained as a draftsman at Combustion Engineering. In hopes of furthering her education and career options, she decided to attend ChattState, where she would become the first woman to earn a Civil Engineering Technology degree. 

“Even as a teenager, I knew my mother was exceptional,” Butler said. “Mom had no role models as a woman in a man's profession, so she just worked hard and did more. She got up, went to work every day, and then she attended school in the evenings." 

Eventually, Sesko earned a bachelor’s degree in engineering in 1990, not only achieving her own education goals but also solidifying her place as a woman engineer. 

“Her 15 years of perseverance broke barriers,” Butler said. “She didn't need that degree to do her job, but she needed it to prove to the men she worked with—and to herself—that she was their professional equal. She excelled in a male-dominated field through her incredible determination and dedication.” 

Beyond being a lifelong learner and changemaker in her family, Sesko’s legacy also includes co-founding ChattMap, a GIS symposium fostering professional collaboration in Chattanooga.  

She also contributed to Housing and Urban Development projects in Chattanooga, earning recognition as the Chattanooga Engineer of the Year in 1994 and later being inducted into the Chattanooga Public Works Hall of Fame in 2017. 

ChattState’s Dean of Engineering, Dr. Tremaine Powell, presented Butler with her mother’s Outstanding Alumni Award. 

“Ms. Sesko shattered barriers and built a remarkable legacy that continues to inspire,” Dr. Powell said. “She truly embodied the ChattState spirit, leveraging her education to uplift her community and inspire future generations.”