Category: Features

For Sam Ray, program resource specialist for the department of Communications,  and Dr. Bradley Ray, associate professor of Fisheries, it all started at a department meeting where Sam, who was Sam Covington at the time, was supposed to speak to Dr. Ray’s entire department. He took the opportunity to introduce himself to her and the rest is history.… Continue reading Department Meeting Sparks Marriage

When Heather Griffin and Nateela McGhee decided to apply for internships at Youth Villages, a nonprofit organization whose goal is to provide treatment for children with emotional and behavioral problems, neither of them expected that their lives would change so drastically. Both girls were placed in facilities in Memphis, which is where the organization’s headquarters… Continue reading Students complete Youth Villages internships

Andy Holt, UTM alumnus who currently serves as the state representative for District 76, proves everyday to Tennesseans that humble beginnings can’t keep you from reaching your goals if you remain true and focused. “I grew up in south Knoxville in a small community called Bestial. [I] grew up in a poor neighborhood. … It’s so… Continue reading Success Secrets: Attitude, focus, consistency

The first day of school, especially graduate school, is usually filled with not only the huge pressure of wanting to make a good first impression on the professors but also on fellow classmates. Dr. Chris Brown, professor of Philosophy, must have rose to the occasion and made quite a first impression on Merry Brown, lecturer… Continue reading First impressions make lasting impressions

When properly nurtured, friendships and relationships can form amongst those who have roots in Martin and UTM soil. When it comes to those relationships, Dr. Julie Hill, associate professor of Music and percussion coordinator, and her husband Dr. David Coffey, professor of History and chair of the Department of History and Philosophy, know all about… Continue reading Romance blossoms from nurtured friendship

UTM alumna Rebeca DeBoard Seitz and her husband, Charles Seitz, routinely eat breakfast with their children, 8-year-old Anderson and 4-year-old Ella Christie, while watching the morning news, therefore providing an opportunity to then discuss with their children what they saw in the news but at a level more age appropriate to help them understand better.… Continue reading Some things should come with a warning

Kaitlyn Wilson from Randolph, Tenn., a junior Secondary Education major with a concentration in English, finds the beach in the afternoon to be a very relaxing place to complete reading assignments. Before dropping the paper and running off to find out how in the world anyone could have possibly missed a beach on this campus,… Continue reading Student reaps the benefits of exploring opportunities

Many of the people who come to UTM are from local high schools, such as Brandon Dodds, a UTM alumnus and native of Dyer County. Born and raised in West Tennessee, he is now doing his part to help improve the place he calls home. Dodds graduated from Dyer County in 1992 and graduated from UTM in 1997 after double majoring… Continue reading UTM alumnus strives to make difference in Tennessee

UTM alumna Jena Bea Haney from Hickman, Ky., joins UTM alumna Mary-Katherine Hill and UTM alumnus Brent Acker in running The World Race on Sept. 10. According to The World Race website, “The World Race is a stretching journey into 11 countries in 11 months to serve ‘the least of these’ while amongst real and… Continue reading The World Race is on: UTM alumna begins 11-month-journey