Tennessee Reconnect Spotlight will feature a first-person story each Friday...

After I graduated high school, I followed the path that was most obvious. I went to college. It simply seemed the thing to do. My lack of direction led me to four declared majors, years of lackluster grades, and eventual failure. I knew that I was wasting time and money pursuing a degree. I dropped out. A gracious friend taught me how to write JavaScript and helped me land a job writing code for websites. Despite my good fortune, my collegiate failure was a constant source of embarrassment.

My friend told me about the Tennessee Reconnect program. With the Tennessee Reconnect grant, he attended Chattanooga State while working full time. He finished his associate degree by taking online courses after work. Seeing his success emboldened me. I decided to give college one more shot. In January of 2021, I applied for the Tennessee Reconnect grant and began classes at Chattanooga State. My professors have been wonderful. If you get a chance, take one of Mrs. Brabham’s English courses. Thanks to Tennessee Reconnect, I will be graduating December 2021. If you have been thinking about picking up where you left off, contact the TN Reconnect program today.

By Quincy Simon