Cleveland State Community College

💻 🎨 Define Your Tomorrow at Cleveland State!

Francisco Tellez Salamanca enrolled at with us as a Tennessee Promise student after graduating from high school. He is involved in campus activities and serves as the president of the Multicultural Club.

After earning his associate degree, Francisco plans to transfer to a four-year institution and then begin a career in graphic design and logo creation.

He said, “It was an easy transition out of high school. Everyone is nice, and the teachers are very passionate about what they do, which makes it easier to learn. Cleveland State is defining my tomorrow by giving me the basics in graphic design which will lead to the career I want to enjoy in the future.”

Last week, our School Counselor Institute brought together school counselors from throughout the region for four days of learning, connecting, and exploring everything our college has to offer.

From academic program presentations to industry tours, student affairs deep-dives, and meaningful conversations about student success- this week was packed with purpose.

Thank you to every counselor, presenter, and team member who made this event possible. You are the bridge between students and their futures, and we're grateful for the work you do every day.

Here's to strengthening partnerships and helping more students Define Their Tomorrow!

🇺🇸 As our nation prepares to celebrate 250 years of freedom, we're proud to spotlight a student who has dedicated her life to defending it.

At 68 years old, Gail Evans, a student in our Medical Assisting program, has already lived several careers, traveled the world, and served her country for more than three decades. A retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel, she still feels called to serve others.

After a military career as a physician assistant, Evans enrolled in our medical assisting program in August 2025 with funding from the Post-9/11 GI Bill. After completing the three-term program, she will graduate in July with a medical assisting certificate.

“As a physician assistant, I gave the orders, so I thought, ‘let’s do it in reverse,’” Evans said. “I wanted to get back to helping people.”

The fifth of 12 children, Evans grew up in New York and earned a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from Eastern Nazarene College in Massachusetts. She spent four years teaching third grade and decided teaching was not the profession for her.

Without the funds to go back to college, Evans enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1987. Although she could have entered as an officer because of her college degree, she chose to enlist so she could choose her career path.

She started as a radiology technician, serving eight years before being selected for the PA program at the University of Texas at San Antonio. After graduating in 1997, Evans spent the next 22 years serving as a PA in the U.S. Army.

She served in locations around the world including Korea, Germany, Egypt, and Iraq. She was deployed during Operation Desert Storm as an x-ray technician and later completed three deployments to Iraq as a PA. Most of her military career was spent with the U.S. Army’s 3rd Infantry Division at Fort Stewart, Georgia.

“The 3rd Infantry Division is what I’m most proud of,” Evans said. “We were the Dog-Faced Soldiers. That’s not an insult. Being part of that division and serving with those soldiers meant a lot to me.”

Over the course of her career, Evans rose to the enlisted rank of Sergeant First Class, became an officer and retired as a lieutenant colonel in December 2019.

“It took 32 years to earn that rank,” she said. “It was rough, but it was fun too. I don’t know how many birthdays and anniversaries that I missed. A lot of people sacrifice. You take the good with the bad; I think that is in every aspect of life. It was my job that required flying in helicopters. I always looked at it as a job; I just wasn’t in an office building all the time.”

Evans’ husband served in the military, so he understood the sacrifices. When he passed away unexpectedly at the age of 50, Evans chose to remain in service longer than she planned.

After retiring, she moved to Cleveland to be closer to her sister and family. Inspired by the compassionate care a close friend received through hospice, she decided to return to healthcare and college with a goal of working for hospice.

Evans enjoys the challenge and testing part of the medical assisting program. She was placed on the President’s List, our college’s highest academic honor, with a 4.0 GPA. During the summer term, medical assisting students work externships at area healthcare offices. Her first assignment was at a local urology clinic where she enjoyed the staff and doctors who work together as a team.

Karmon Kingsley, Medical Assisting Program Director, said, “Gail is a wonderful student with an excellent work ethic, and it shows in the evaluations received from her externship practices.”

Evans’ advice to young people is to explore career options, consider the military, and avoid feeling the pressure to follow a traditional route.

“I went straight into college after high school, and I really wish that I had waited,” Evans said. “Research what you think you might be interested in and go for it. Start at a community college and figure out what you want to do. The military is also a good way; there are tremendous benefits. You make decisions, and you make sacrifices. Life is too short, but you can do the exciting things too.”

For more information about the medical assisting program, contact Kingsley at [email protected] or (423) 614-8702.

Happy Father's Day!

Our campuses are closed today in observance of Juneteenth.

See you Monday!

Thank you to all of our Night of Hope attendees and partner representatives!

What a great opportunity to welcome adult learners and community partners to campus for an evening filled with hope, encouragement, and opportunity.

🎓 Graduate Spotlight

In 2016, Tristan Hembree enrolled with us after graduating from Bradley Central High School. He had a dream of becoming an architect, but he dropped out of college after the first year.

“I didn’t think college was going to be for me,” Hembree said. “I was second guessing myself. I thought I could find a trade and go into the workforce, but then I realized that I was throwing away my dream and ambitions.”

Hembree returned in 2023 and soon realized that drafting and design was the career field for him.

This past May, Hembree graduated with honors with an Associate of Applied Science in Drafting and Design. Embedded in the program are three technical certificates: Architectural Design, Civil Technology, and Mechanical Drafting. Throughout the program, Hembree discovered that he wanted to pursue mechanical drafting using software programs such as AutoCAD and SolidWorks.

Hembree qualified for the Tennessee Reconnect scholarship, a last-dollar scholarship that covers the tuition and most fees for adults who are 23 years and older and have not already completed an associate or bachelor’s degree.

“TN Reconnect was a big blessing,” he said. “I don’t think I would have been able to afford college on my own. Working helped, but it didn’t cover everything. I’m very grateful- that scholarship empowered me and gave me the chance to succeed.”

Hembree was awarded the Advanced Technologies Career Community Award prior to graduation.

Returning to college was not easy. Balancing school, work, and family responsibilities require determination and discipline. Now, Hembree is focusing on starting a career in mechanical drafting.

“My path here required consistency,” he said. “I felt like giving up a lot of the time, but I had hope. I had faith that something good would happen if I just kept doing what I was doing and let everything pan out. I still managed to have fun even when times were hard. I tried to live in the moment and not think too far ahead.”

For more information about the Drafting and Design Program, email [email protected] or call (423) 473-2447.

👏 Congratulations to seven inmates at the McMinn County Justice Center who recently completed a 40-hour Culinary Arts bootcamp, earning their Servsafe Certification!

A special thank you goes to McMinn County Sheriff Joe Guy and our Workforce Development and Adult Education departments for making this possible!

Thank you to Benny Middleton of DC BLOX for stopping by to visit our Computer Information Technology and Workforce Education programs!

We appreciate your expertise, partnership, and support for our programs and students!

📚 You've made the decision. Now let's make it happen.

A certificate or associate degree can open the door to a better paying career- on a schedule that works around your busy life.

Whether you're starting fresh or moving up, we have the resources to get you there, and we'll have your back every step of the way.

Learn more about our various programs here https://www.clevelandstatecc.edu/getting-started/adult-learners/