{"id":50808,"date":"2023-05-20T13:08:54","date_gmt":"2023-05-20T17:08:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/?p=50808"},"modified":"2023-05-30T08:27:28","modified_gmt":"2023-05-30T12:27:28","slug":"a-family-affair-schenks-have-an-unbroken-connection-to-utc","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/2023\/05\/a-family-affair-schenks-have-an-unbroken-connection-to-utc\/","title":{"rendered":"A family affair: Schenks have an unbroken connection to UTC"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><iframe title=\"Third Generation Graduate - Dru Schenk\" style=\"max-width: 100%;\"style=\"max-width: 100%;\"src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/dvn-gjUkTdI?rel=0&#038;modestbranding=1&#038;autohide=1&#038;showinfo=0&#038;controls=0\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>The Schenk family is on a three-generation win streak at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.<\/p>\n<p>Mary Ann Schenk enrolled in UTC when she was 54 and graduated in 1996 with a degree in psychology.<\/p>\n<p>Her son, John, graduated in 1995 from UTC with a degree in English literature. John\u2019s wife, Denise, graduated from UTC in 1995 with a degree in human ecology: family and consumer studies.<\/p>\n<p>Mary Ann\u2019s daughter, Ann, graduated from UTC in 1996 with a degree in education and, for one semester, was in the same children\u2019s literature class as her mother.<\/p>\n<p>Dru, son of John and Denise, graduated summa cum laude in May 2023 with a bachelor\u2019s degree in accounting. He graduated after completing the coursework and necessary credit hours to earn a degree in three years.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt&#8217;s been difficult at times. I had some really difficult semesters,\u201d he said. \u201cI took four accounting classes in the fall at one time, which was not recommended by my department head.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He won\u2019t be away long because he returns in fall semester 2023 to pursue a master\u2019s degree in accounting. He\u2019ll also continue running Dru Schenk Photography, which he established six years ago.<\/p>\n<p>Wrapping up the Schenk family\u2019s links to UTC, Mary Ann\u2019s late husband, also named Dru, was in the last graduating class of the University of Chattanooga before it became UTC.<\/p>\n<h4><strong>First generation<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>Growing up in the Belvoir neighborhood of Chattanooga, Mary Ann began her college career at Sienna College, a private Catholic school in Memphis. It closed after her sophomore year when she was 19, and she returned to Chattanooga.<\/p>\n<p>She spent most of her life raising her family and being an advocate for abused children and those with disabilities, starting the Chattanooga chapters of the nonprofits Kids on the Block and Children&#8217;s Advocacy Center.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI had a sister with very severe disabilities, and she was my teacher because she taught us compassion, patience, empathy, understanding and lots of other things. She was one of the best teachers I ever had.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Mary Ann enrolled in UTC when she was 54 and, while the quality of the classes and faculty was outstanding, she said, one element of the University stands out in her memory.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe young people were just wonderful to me,\u201d said Mary Ann, now 79 years old. \u201cThere was one young man that would sit and have coffee with me, and he brought a backpack one day and said, \u201cI don&#8217;t want you walking around carrying all those books. You need a backpack.\u2019 Just the whole scenario of young people was so uplifting.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Mary Ann and grandson Dru\u2014he calls her \u201cMo\u201d\u2014both took classes taught by Dr. Lauren Ingraham, a professor of English at UTC.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don&#8217;t have another experience of teaching a senior member of a family and a grandchild. This is unique, but I&#8217;m struck by how much both these folks love UTC,\u201d Ingraham said.<\/p>\n<p>She doesn\u2019t recall the specific course in which Mary Ann was her student, nor does Mary Ann. In fall semester 2021, Dru was enrolled in Ingraham\u2019s \u201cFood Fight!: The Rhetoric of Food\u201d course.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe excelled in that course in a number of ways. He led student discussions and helped students get involved with food opportunities in the area,\u201d she recalled.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_50809\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" ><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1280\" height=\"891\" data-attachment-id=\"50809\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/2023\/05\/a-family-affair-schenks-have-an-unbroken-connection-to-utc\/undergraduate-commencement-2-23\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/files\/2023\/05\/Undergraduate-Commencement-2-23-2226.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"1280,891\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;3.2&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;Angela Foster\/University of Tennessee at Chattanooga&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;NIKON Z 6_2&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;Students graduate during the second of four undergraduate school commencement ceremonies, Saturday, May 6, 2023 in McKenzie Arena.&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1683369259&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;30.5&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;50&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.0125&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Undergraduate Commencement-2-23&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Undergraduate Commencement-2-23\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Students graduate during the second of four undergraduate school commencement ceremonies, Saturday, May 6, 2023 in McKenzie Arena.&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/files\/2023\/05\/Undergraduate-Commencement-2-23-2226-1024x713.jpg\" class=\"wp-image-50809 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/files\/2023\/05\/Undergraduate-Commencement-2-23-2226.jpg\" alt=\"Three generations of the Schenk family have graduated from UTC (from left): Mary Ann (1996), Dru (2023), Denise (1995) and John (1995). Photo by Angela Foster.\" style=\"max-width: 100%;\"style=\"max-width: 100%;\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/files\/2023\/05\/Undergraduate-Commencement-2-23-2226.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/files\/2023\/05\/Undergraduate-Commencement-2-23-2226-1024x713.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/files\/2023\/05\/Undergraduate-Commencement-2-23-2226-768x535.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/files\/2023\/05\/Undergraduate-Commencement-2-23-2226-580x404.jpg 580w, https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/files\/2023\/05\/Undergraduate-Commencement-2-23-2226-610x425.jpg 610w, https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/files\/2023\/05\/Undergraduate-Commencement-2-23-2226-1536x1069.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/files\/2023\/05\/Undergraduate-Commencement-2-23-2226-2048x1426.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\" \/><p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Three generations of the Schenk family have graduated from UTC (from left): Mary Ann (1996), Dru (2023), Denise (1995) and John (1995). Photo by Angela Foster.<\/p><\/div>\n<h4><strong>Second generation<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>John and Denise met in an environmental science class at UTC but didn\u2019t start dating until about a year later.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe walked to the restaurant I was working in, and we sort of reconnected, and I asked her for her number, and then I just started chasing her,\u201d recalled John, who graduated from Notre Dame High School in Chattanooga, where the past five generations of Schenks have attended.<\/p>\n<p>He spent his first two years in college at Loyola University in New Orleans, but it didn\u2019t work out.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou really don&#8217;t want to leave an 18, 19 year old up to his own devices down there. I came back with a very atrocious grade point average,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>Enrolling in UTC meant being able to stay at home, work in restaurants and handle tuition.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI had to pay my way through college,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>Denise grew up in Ooltewah and graduated from Central High School and said there was no specific reason she enrolled at UTC.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou were destined to meet me,\u201d John said.<\/p>\n<p>After graduating from UTC, Ann\u2014whose married name is Monroe\u2014spent four years as a third-grade teacher at Thrasher Elementary School on Signal Mountain. Now a professor of education and dean and director of assessment at the University of Mississippi, she said what she learned at UTC is the bedrock of her teaching abilities.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAs someone who now teaches in a teacher-training program, I know the quality that I got at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and the teacher-training program was excellent. When I got my first classroom, I felt a 100% prepared as a first-year teacher.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Although she doesn\u2019t recall the year, she distinctly remembers the children\u2019s literature course that she and her mother were both in. She got a B; her mother got an A.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI was not happy,\u201d Ann said, followed by a laugh.<\/p>\n<h4><strong>Third generation<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>After Dru graduated from Notre Dame, his friends expected him to attend college outside of Chattanooga. His mother said she did, too. Enrolling at UTC even surprised him.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI only applied to UTC. I did not apply to any others,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>But he already had established Dru Schenk Photography in Chattanooga, making a lot of business contacts in the process, so staying in the city made sense, he explained.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI was really well-connected, and I had a large network in Chattanooga. I realized that I could stay here and grow my business.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>With a house he recently bought in Rossville, Georgia, a second business in rental property is in its infant stages.<\/p>\n<p>Back at UTC in the fall, he\u2019ll take courses for a master\u2019s degree and work as a graduate assistant in the Department of Accounting.<\/p>\n<p>But it\u2019s not all business all the time. He\u2019s taking trips to Spain and Hilton Head, South Carolina, in May. He has to make sure he\u2019s back by the first week of June, though. That\u2019s when he starts his summer internship with the Deloitte business management consulting firm in Atlanta.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_50811\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" ><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1280\" height=\"859\" data-attachment-id=\"50811\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/2023\/05\/a-family-affair-schenks-have-an-unbroken-connection-to-utc\/undergraduate-commencement-2-23-2\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/files\/2023\/05\/Undergraduate-Commencement-2-23-1728.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"1280,859\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;2.8&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;Angela Foster\/University of Tennessee at Chattanooga&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;NIKON Z 6_2&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;Students graduate during the second of four undergraduate school commencement ceremonies, Saturday, May 6, 2023 in McKenzie Arena.&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1683366205&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;200&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;3200&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.001&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Undergraduate Commencement-2-23&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Undergraduate Commencement-2-23\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Students graduate during the second of four undergraduate school commencement ceremonies, Saturday, May 6, 2023 in McKenzie Arena.&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/files\/2023\/05\/Undergraduate-Commencement-2-23-1728-1024x687.jpg\" class=\"wp-image-50811 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/files\/2023\/05\/Undergraduate-Commencement-2-23-1728.jpg\" alt=\"Chancellor Steven Angle congratulates Dru Schenk during the May 6 commencement ceremony.\" style=\"max-width: 100%;\"style=\"max-width: 100%;\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/files\/2023\/05\/Undergraduate-Commencement-2-23-1728.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/files\/2023\/05\/Undergraduate-Commencement-2-23-1728-1024x687.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/files\/2023\/05\/Undergraduate-Commencement-2-23-1728-768x515.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/files\/2023\/05\/Undergraduate-Commencement-2-23-1728-580x389.jpg 580w, https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/files\/2023\/05\/Undergraduate-Commencement-2-23-1728-610x409.jpg 610w, https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/files\/2023\/05\/Undergraduate-Commencement-2-23-1728-1536x1031.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/files\/2023\/05\/Undergraduate-Commencement-2-23-1728-2048x1374.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\" \/><p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Chancellor Steven Angle congratulates Dru Schenk during May 6 commencement ceremonies.<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Dru Schenk, who recently graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor\u2019s degree in accounting, is a third-generation UTC alum.<\/p>\n<p class=\"more-link-wrap\"><span><a class=\"more-link button text\" href=\"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/2023\/05\/a-family-affair-schenks-have-an-unbroken-connection-to-utc\/\"><span>Continue Reading <\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1105,"featured_media":50809,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_slider":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_featurette":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[122424,123864,123865,56,3,98,7712,57,52,8244,286,8288],"tags":[122772,122687,122771,122768,122770,83401,122769],"class_list":{"0":"post-50808","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-accounting","8":"category-advancement-and-alumni","9":"category-biology-geology-and-environmental-science","10":"category-college-of-health-education-and-professional-studies","11":"category-community","12":"category-english","13":"category-faculty-and-staff","14":"category-college-of-business","15":"category-graduate-school","16":"category-honors-and-awards","17":"category-psychology","18":"category-school-of-education","19":"tag-ann-monroe","20":"tag-commencement-2023","21":"tag-denise-schenk","22":"tag-dru-schenk","23":"tag-john-schenk","24":"tag-lauren-ingraham","25":"tag-mary-ann-schenk","26":"entry"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>A family affair: Schenks have an unbroken connection to UTC | UTC News Archive: Jul 2007 - Oct 2025<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Dru Schenk, who recently graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor\u2019s degree in accounting, is a third-generation UTC alum.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"A family affair: Schenks have an unbroken connection to UTC | UTC News Archive: Jul 2007 - Oct 2025\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Dru Schenk, who recently graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor\u2019s degree in accounting, is a third-generation UTC alum.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/2023\/05\/a-family-affair-schenks-have-an-unbroken-connection-to-utc\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"UTC News Archive: Jul 2007 - Oct 2025\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/UTChattanooga\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-05-20T17:08:54+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2023-05-30T12:27:28+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/files\/2023\/05\/Undergraduate-Commencement-2-23-2226.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2560\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1782\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Shawn Ryan\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@UTChattanooga\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@UTChattanooga\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Shawn Ryan\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogarchive.utc.edu\\\/news\\\/2023\\\/05\\\/a-family-affair-schenks-have-an-unbroken-connection-to-utc\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogarchive.utc.edu\\\/news\\\/2023\\\/05\\\/a-family-affair-schenks-have-an-unbroken-connection-to-utc\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Shawn Ryan\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogarchive.utc.edu\\\/news\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/7c7532013925b3412f8142e378b04942\"},\"headline\":\"A family affair: Schenks have an unbroken connection to UTC\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-05-20T17:08:54+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-05-30T12:27:28+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogarchive.utc.edu\\\/news\\\/2023\\\/05\\\/a-family-affair-schenks-have-an-unbroken-connection-to-utc\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1121,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogarchive.utc.edu\\\/news\\\/2023\\\/05\\\/a-family-affair-schenks-have-an-unbroken-connection-to-utc\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogarchive.utc.edu\\\/news\\\/files\\\/2023\\\/05\\\/Undergraduate-Commencement-2-23-2226.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Ann Monroe\",\"Commencement 2023\",\"Denise Schenk\",\"Dru Schenk\",\"John Schenk\",\"lauren ingraham\",\"Mary Ann Schenk\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Accounting\",\"Advancement and Alumni\",\"Biology, Geology, and Environmental Science\",\"College of Health, Education and Professional Studies\",\"Community\",\"English\",\"Faculty and Staff\",\"Gary W. Rollins College of Business\",\"Graduate School\",\"Honors and Awards\",\"Psychology\",\"School of Education\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogarchive.utc.edu\\\/news\\\/2023\\\/05\\\/a-family-affair-schenks-have-an-unbroken-connection-to-utc\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogarchive.utc.edu\\\/news\\\/2023\\\/05\\\/a-family-affair-schenks-have-an-unbroken-connection-to-utc\\\/\",\"name\":\"A family affair: Schenks have an unbroken connection to UTC | UTC News Archive: Jul 2007 - Oct 2025\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogarchive.utc.edu\\\/news\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogarchive.utc.edu\\\/news\\\/2023\\\/05\\\/a-family-affair-schenks-have-an-unbroken-connection-to-utc\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogarchive.utc.edu\\\/news\\\/2023\\\/05\\\/a-family-affair-schenks-have-an-unbroken-connection-to-utc\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogarchive.utc.edu\\\/news\\\/files\\\/2023\\\/05\\\/Undergraduate-Commencement-2-23-2226.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-05-20T17:08:54+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-05-30T12:27:28+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogarchive.utc.edu\\\/news\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/7c7532013925b3412f8142e378b04942\"},\"description\":\"Dru Schenk, who recently graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor\u2019s degree in accounting, is a third-generation UTC alum.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogarchive.utc.edu\\\/news\\\/2023\\\/05\\\/a-family-affair-schenks-have-an-unbroken-connection-to-utc\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/blogarchive.utc.edu\\\/news\\\/2023\\\/05\\\/a-family-affair-schenks-have-an-unbroken-connection-to-utc\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogarchive.utc.edu\\\/news\\\/2023\\\/05\\\/a-family-affair-schenks-have-an-unbroken-connection-to-utc\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogarchive.utc.edu\\\/news\\\/files\\\/2023\\\/05\\\/Undergraduate-Commencement-2-23-2226.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogarchive.utc.edu\\\/news\\\/files\\\/2023\\\/05\\\/Undergraduate-Commencement-2-23-2226.jpg\",\"width\":1280,\"height\":891,\"caption\":\"Students graduate during the second of four undergraduate school commencement ceremonies, Saturday, May 6, 2023 in McKenzie Arena.\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogarchive.utc.edu\\\/news\\\/2023\\\/05\\\/a-family-affair-schenks-have-an-unbroken-connection-to-utc\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogarchive.utc.edu\\\/news\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"A family affair: Schenks have an unbroken connection to UTC\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogarchive.utc.edu\\\/news\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogarchive.utc.edu\\\/news\\\/\",\"name\":\"UTC News Archive: Jul 2007 - Oct 2025\",\"description\":\"Official news releases of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogarchive.utc.edu\\\/news\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogarchive.utc.edu\\\/news\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/7c7532013925b3412f8142e378b04942\",\"name\":\"Shawn Ryan\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/fd3380969898eaf8c8a869d0a88ec19c46f2edd41319a7a40d9c63946c900aa9?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/fd3380969898eaf8c8a869d0a88ec19c46f2edd41319a7a40d9c63946c900aa9?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/fd3380969898eaf8c8a869d0a88ec19c46f2edd41319a7a40d9c63946c900aa9?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Shawn Ryan\"},\"description\":\"Shawn Ryan is the executive staff writer in the Office of Communications and Marketing at UTC.\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogarchive.utc.edu\\\/news\\\/author\\\/hqv743\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"A family affair: Schenks have an unbroken connection to UTC | UTC News Archive: Jul 2007 - Oct 2025","description":"Dru Schenk, who recently graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor\u2019s degree in accounting, is a third-generation UTC alum.","robots":{"index":"noindex","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"A family affair: Schenks have an unbroken connection to UTC | UTC News Archive: Jul 2007 - Oct 2025","og_description":"Dru Schenk, who recently graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor\u2019s degree in accounting, is a third-generation UTC alum.","og_url":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/2023\/05\/a-family-affair-schenks-have-an-unbroken-connection-to-utc\/","og_site_name":"UTC News Archive: Jul 2007 - Oct 2025","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/UTChattanooga","article_published_time":"2023-05-20T17:08:54+00:00","article_modified_time":"2023-05-30T12:27:28+00:00","og_image":[{"width":2560,"height":1782,"url":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/files\/2023\/05\/Undergraduate-Commencement-2-23-2226.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Shawn Ryan","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@UTChattanooga","twitter_site":"@UTChattanooga","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Shawn Ryan","Est. reading time":"6 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/2023\/05\/a-family-affair-schenks-have-an-unbroken-connection-to-utc\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/2023\/05\/a-family-affair-schenks-have-an-unbroken-connection-to-utc\/"},"author":{"name":"Shawn Ryan","@id":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/7c7532013925b3412f8142e378b04942"},"headline":"A family affair: Schenks have an unbroken connection to UTC","datePublished":"2023-05-20T17:08:54+00:00","dateModified":"2023-05-30T12:27:28+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/2023\/05\/a-family-affair-schenks-have-an-unbroken-connection-to-utc\/"},"wordCount":1121,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/2023\/05\/a-family-affair-schenks-have-an-unbroken-connection-to-utc\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/files\/2023\/05\/Undergraduate-Commencement-2-23-2226.jpg","keywords":["Ann Monroe","Commencement 2023","Denise Schenk","Dru Schenk","John Schenk","lauren ingraham","Mary Ann Schenk"],"articleSection":["Accounting","Advancement and Alumni","Biology, Geology, and Environmental Science","College of Health, Education and Professional Studies","Community","English","Faculty and Staff","Gary W. Rollins College of Business","Graduate School","Honors and Awards","Psychology","School of Education"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/2023\/05\/a-family-affair-schenks-have-an-unbroken-connection-to-utc\/","url":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/2023\/05\/a-family-affair-schenks-have-an-unbroken-connection-to-utc\/","name":"A family affair: Schenks have an unbroken connection to UTC | UTC News Archive: Jul 2007 - Oct 2025","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/2023\/05\/a-family-affair-schenks-have-an-unbroken-connection-to-utc\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/2023\/05\/a-family-affair-schenks-have-an-unbroken-connection-to-utc\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/files\/2023\/05\/Undergraduate-Commencement-2-23-2226.jpg","datePublished":"2023-05-20T17:08:54+00:00","dateModified":"2023-05-30T12:27:28+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/7c7532013925b3412f8142e378b04942"},"description":"Dru Schenk, who recently graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor\u2019s degree in accounting, is a third-generation UTC alum.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/2023\/05\/a-family-affair-schenks-have-an-unbroken-connection-to-utc\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/2023\/05\/a-family-affair-schenks-have-an-unbroken-connection-to-utc\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/2023\/05\/a-family-affair-schenks-have-an-unbroken-connection-to-utc\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/files\/2023\/05\/Undergraduate-Commencement-2-23-2226.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/files\/2023\/05\/Undergraduate-Commencement-2-23-2226.jpg","width":1280,"height":891,"caption":"Students graduate during the second of four undergraduate school commencement ceremonies, Saturday, May 6, 2023 in McKenzie Arena."},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/2023\/05\/a-family-affair-schenks-have-an-unbroken-connection-to-utc\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"A family affair: Schenks have an unbroken connection to UTC"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/#website","url":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/","name":"UTC News Archive: Jul 2007 - Oct 2025","description":"Official news releases of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/7c7532013925b3412f8142e378b04942","name":"Shawn Ryan","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/fd3380969898eaf8c8a869d0a88ec19c46f2edd41319a7a40d9c63946c900aa9?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/fd3380969898eaf8c8a869d0a88ec19c46f2edd41319a7a40d9c63946c900aa9?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/fd3380969898eaf8c8a869d0a88ec19c46f2edd41319a7a40d9c63946c900aa9?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Shawn Ryan"},"description":"Shawn Ryan is the executive staff writer in the Office of Communications and Marketing at UTC.","url":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/author\/hqv743\/"}]}},"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/files\/2023\/05\/Undergraduate-Commencement-2-23-2226.jpg","featured_image_src_square":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/files\/2023\/05\/Undergraduate-Commencement-2-23-2226.jpg","author_info":{"display_name":"Shawn Ryan","author_link":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/author\/hqv743\/"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/files\/2023\/05\/Undergraduate-Commencement-2-23-2226.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50808","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1105"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=50808"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50808\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":50930,"href":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50808\/revisions\/50930"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/50809"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=50808"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=50808"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=50808"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}