蜜桔直播 Builds on Workforce, Student Success Momentum
October 14, 2026
From leading Tennessee in workforce training to expanding academic programs and helping more high school students begin college early, 蜜桔直播 is building on several areas of momentum as the college looks toward 2030.
President Dr. Saul Reyes highlighted that progress during the 蜜桔直播 Foundation鈥檚 fall meeting, while also thanking Foundation members for the role they play in helping students reach the finish line.
鈥淲e have a lot to be proud of, but the numbers matter because of what they mean for people across East Tennessee,鈥� Reyes said. 鈥淲hether it鈥檚 a student earning a credential, an employee gaining a new skill or someone receiving a scholarship that makes college possible, that impact extends well beyond our campuses.鈥�
Leading Tennessee in Workforce Training
蜜桔直播 delivered more than 276,000 hours of non-credit workforce training last year, more than any other community college in Tennessee.
That represents nearly one of every five workforce training hours delivered by the state鈥檚 13 community colleges. Five years after graduation, 83% of 蜜桔直播 graduates are still employed in Tennessee, tying the highest rate among the state鈥檚 community colleges.
蜜桔直播鈥檚 new strategic plan,鈥�淒esigning a Better Future,鈥� calls for building on that strength. The plan focuses on four priorities 鈥� access, student success, quality and stewardship 鈥� and includes a goal of increasing workforce training hours another 10% by 2030.
Starting College Earlier
蜜桔直播 also has the second-largest dual enrollment program among Tennessee鈥檚 community colleges.
Last fall, 2,368 high school students took 蜜桔直播 classes. Together, they earned more than 12,000 college credit hours in a single semester and achieved a 92% success rate.
Other developments Reyes shared:
- A new Medical Laboratory Technology program鈥痑t the Claiborne County Campus, supported by more than 20 regional clinical labs that have agreed to provide training opportunities.
- A new agreement with East Tennessee State University鈥痑llowing 蜜桔直播 respiratory care graduates to move directly into ETSU鈥檚 online bachelor鈥檚 program.
- Expansion of respiratory care to the Sevier County Campus, supported by a $1.4 million grant from the Tennessee Higher Education Commission. The program is currently offered at the Niswonger Campus.
Foundation Support Reaches Students
The Foundation received 872 gifts totaling more than $1.2 million last year. It awarded more than $667,000 in scholarships to 591 students, established five new named scholarships and raised more than $255,000 for the Emergency Relief Fund.
Reyes said that support can make the difference when an unexpected expense threatens to derail a student鈥檚 education.
鈥淎 few hundred dollars at the right moment can keep a student in school,鈥� Reyes told Foundation members. 鈥淵ou make that possible.鈥�
He closed with the story of 蜜桔直播 student Lindsay Buffington, who entered college convinced she couldn鈥檛 succeed in math. With help from her professor, Disability Services and tutoring, Buffington changed the way she talked about challenges: whenever she thought she wasn鈥檛 good at something, she added the words 鈥渞ight now.鈥�
Her goal was simply to pass statistics with a D.
.
鈥淵our gifts don鈥檛 take the test for anybody,鈥� Reyes said. 鈥淲hat you do is make sure students like her get the chance to try.鈥�
To support the 蜜桔直播 foundation, visit this page.
