{"id":68287,"date":"2025-05-12T09:10:41","date_gmt":"2025-05-12T13:10:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/?p=68287"},"modified":"2025-06-13T15:47:58","modified_gmt":"2025-06-13T19:47:58","slug":"trailblazers-university-highs-first-graduating-class-shows-whats-possible","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/2025\/05\/trailblazers-university-highs-first-graduating-class-shows-whats-possible\/","title":{"rendered":"Trailblazers: University High\u2019s first graduating class shows what\u2019s possible\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Principal

Principal Arielle Hayes hugs Kambriah Reynolds after the graduating senior spoke on behalf of the first cohort of University High. Photo by Angela Foster.<\/p><\/div>\n

Cheers and applause filled the Roland Hayes Concert Hall on Friday, May 9, as the inaugural graduating class of University High crossed the stage\u2014celebrating both their diplomas and a pioneering partnership between the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and Hamilton County Schools.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This was more than a graduation. It was the successful launch of a new model\u2014one that placed high school students in college classrooms, challenged them with university-level expectations and redefined what a high school experience can be.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cUniversity High is unique,\u201d UTC Provost and Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Jerold L. Hale told the audience. \u201cThere\u2019s no school like it in the country \u2026 These graduates were fully embedded on our campus for the last two years. As far as most people knew, they were UTC classmates and UTC students.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

That uniqueness, Hale explained, was never just about location.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe wanted to encourage students to think about attending college, to demonstrate they could succeed in college-level work, and to make both the time and cost of a college degree more manageable,\u201d he said. \u201cYour performance, graduates, has been absolutely fantastic.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Dr. Shewanee Howard-Baptiste, UTC vice provost for undergraduate affairs, praised the students for doing more than succeeding.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThis moment is truly about resilience,\u201d Howard-Baptiste said. \u201cIt\u2019s about the early mornings, the late nights, the deadlines\u2014but ultimately the growth. You\u2019ve proven that you\u2019re not just ready for the next step, you\u2019re already on your way.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Graduating senior Kambriah Reynolds was selected by her classmates to represent the first cohort. She reflected on the challenge of building something from the ground up.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe were the first experiment\u2014the ones who stepped onto a college campus as high school juniors and sometimes survived it all while still doing high school work,\u201d Reynolds said. \u201cIt gave us stress but it also gave us strength, growth and history.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Reynolds spoke about navigating college schedules, writing research papers, presenting projects, and still finding time to build a community that loved, supported and held one another accountable.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe didn\u2019t just pass tests, we passed life lessons,\u201d she said. \u201cWe didn\u2019t just graduate. We transformed.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Hamilton County Schools Community Superintendent Elaine Harper echoed those remarks.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou have not only completed high school, you have helped shape it,\u201d Harper said. \u201cYou are the pioneers. The first to navigate the unique blend of high school and university experiences. You showed courage by choosing something new.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The University High ceremony also featured remarks from junior Malik Childress and English teacher Kate Knox, whom the students selected to speak on behalf of the faculty.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou are special and different because you\u2019ve proven again and again that you know the right risks to choose and you are brave with your choosing,\u201d Knox said.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Hamilton County Schools Director of Innovation and Fine Arts Grant Knowles administered the ceremonial tassel turn.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou are part of something bigger than yourselves. You are part of the alumni of University High,\u201d Knowles told the graduates. \u201cYou may now turn your tassel to the left.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ve left something behind that is bigger than you and I\u2019m eternally grateful for that. And so are the people that come after you.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The ceremony closed with Principal Arielle Hayes stepping toward the first University High graduates to speak from the heart.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI want you to remember us and invite us when you graduate from college, when it\u2019s time for you to get married, when it\u2019s time for you to have your first child,\u201d Hayes said. \u201cWe are more than faculty to you. We are your family, we are your friends, we are your mentors \u2026 and we\u2019ll always be here for you.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

University High was launched in fall 2023 with an ambitious vision: to reimagine high school by immersing students directly in the world of higher education. Aimed at Hamilton County students who may not have traditionally seen themselves on a college track, the program offered an accelerated two-year model allowing juniors and seniors to complete high school while earning up to 20 college credit hours through UTC.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The program is housed on the UTC campus and its daily schedule prioritizes advisory, college prep, experiential learning and cross-campus exploration. Through regular interactions with UTC faculty, academic advisors and departments, students experience a kind of pre-college boot camp while still completing their high school requirements.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThis is not a simulation,\u201d Hayes explained during an interview days before graduation. \u201cOur students are real college students taking real college classes. The work is rigorous, the expectations are high and the results speak for themselves.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

University High was never intended to mimic a traditional high school, Hayes continued. Students share space with UTC undergraduates and learn from both University High and UTC faculty.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It is \u201cintentionally different\u201d and\u2014for Hayes and her team\u2014that difference has been everything.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOur students grew so much\u2014not just academically, but in empathy, confidence and community,\u201d she said. \u201cWhat we\u2019re doing isn\u2019t just working; it\u2019s transformative.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

School counselor Anna Millard, who joined University High last summer, echoed that sentiment.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThese students understand what a gift this is,\u201d Millard said. \u201cThey don\u2019t take this opportunity for granted. They take care of each other. They challenge themselves. They challenge us. And because we don\u2019t have to deal with the usual disciplinary distractions, we\u2019re able to go deeper\u2014academically and personally.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Millard, who previously served as a school counselor at STEM School Chattanooga, said the atmosphere at University High has reinvigorated her work.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThis is the best work I\u2019ve ever done. I feel like I\u2019m doing what I\u2019m meant to do,\u201d said Millard, who is in her 25th year as a school counselor. \u201cThese students have taught me just as much as I\u2019ve taught them.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Hayes credited Millard for bringing a wealth of experience to the evolving model, especially in connecting students with relevant, challenging and personalized college-level coursework.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe didn\u2019t want to just enroll students in random dual-enrollment classes,\u201d Millard said. \u201cWe wanted to be intentional. What classes match their career goals? What professors are the right fit? How can we provide intervention when they\u2019re struggling? It was a team effort and the UTC support has been incredible.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

That team includes UTC Dual Enrollment Coordinator Stephanie Orr and Student Success Programs Director Erica Holmes Trujillo, who helped tailor class schedules and check-ins to ensure students stayed on track.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The University High model also shifts the traditional role of the high school teacher. Faculty serve more as advisors and mentors, guiding students through self-directed learning, research-based projects and community engagement.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThey want our students in their classrooms,\u201d Hayes said. \u201cThey say things like, \u2018Your kids are the ones who sit in the front row. Your kids are the ones who ask questions. Your kids are the ones who turn in assignments on time.\u2019 It has been such a powerful validation.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A characteristic of the University High experience is experiential and place-based learning, including internships and Focus Fridays\u2014which are weekly interdisciplinary sessions tied to UTC departments. Students take part in the kind of hands-on learning experiences that typically don\u2019t come until college.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThat shift in relationship changes everything,\u201d Hayes said. \u201cIt builds trust. It gives students a voice.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

One of those collaborations <\/span>connected graduating senior Shi Mae Bowling with Laurie Melnik Allen<\/span><\/b><\/a>, Lyndhurst Chair of Excellence in Arts Education and Professor of Practice in Theatre Education at UTC. Melnik Allen served as Bowling\u2019s mentor during her senior year and played an instrumental role in her mentee\u2019s decision to pursue theatre at UTC.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOur students have visited the College of Business, Nutrition, Health Sciences, Education, you name it,\u201d Hayes said. \u201cThey\u2019re not just sitting in lectures. They\u2019re building relationships, exploring career paths and developing confidence.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

University High is also deeply rooted in social-emotional development. Faculty, advisors and UTC collaborators work together to help students manage stress, build resilience and understand themselves.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOur students talk about their mental health. They advocate for themselves. They know when to ask for help and when to take a step back,\u201d Millard said. \u201cThat\u2019s what college readiness really looks like.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Hayes said that in its first two years, University High had grown into a community.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe call our seniors trailblazers because they were the first,\u201d Millard said. \u201cThey helped us shape this. We learned from them and now the next cohort is learning from both of us.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

That second cohort of juniors arrived in fall 2024, doubling the school\u2019s total enrollment. With each new year, Hayes and Millard said they envision more refinement, more direction and more student empowerment.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve been able to teach the whole child and help them grow in so many ways\u2014not just academically but with the real-life lessons learned with so much independence and empowerment. That feels really good,\u201d Hayes said. \u201cIt feels like they really are family.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Learn more\u00a0<\/h4>\n

Visit UTC<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

University High<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

University High to UTC: How an incoming freshman stitched together passion and purpose<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

How to apply<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Photo gallery by Angela Foster<\/h4>\n
\"University <\/a>
University High students participate in a graduation ceremony Friday, May 9, 2025 in the Fine Arts Center. <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"University <\/a>
University High students participate in a graduation ceremony Friday, May 9, 2025 in the Fine Arts Center. <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
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University High students participate in a graduation ceremony Friday, May 9, 2025 in the Fine Arts Center. <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
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University High students participate in a graduation ceremony Friday, May 9, 2025 in the Fine Arts Center. <\/div> <\/div>
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University High students participate in a graduation ceremony Friday, May 9, 2025 in the Fine Arts Center. <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
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University High students participate in a graduation ceremony Friday, May 9, 2025 in the Fine Arts Center. <\/div> <\/div>
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University High students participate in a graduation ceremony Friday, May 9, 2025 in the Fine Arts Center. <\/div> <\/div>
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University High students participate in a graduation ceremony Friday, May 9, 2025 in the Fine Arts Center. <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"University <\/a>
University High students participate in a graduation ceremony Friday, May 9, 2025 in the Fine Arts Center. <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"University <\/a>
University High students participate in a graduation ceremony Friday, May 9, 2025 in the Fine Arts Center. <\/div> <\/div>
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University High students participate in a graduation ceremony Friday, May 9, 2025 in the Fine Arts Center. <\/div> <\/div>
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University High students participate in a graduation ceremony Friday, May 9, 2025 in the Fine Arts Center. <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"University <\/a>
University High students participate in a graduation ceremony Friday, May 9, 2025 in the Fine Arts Center. <\/div> <\/div>
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University High students participate in a graduation ceremony Friday, May 9, 2025 in the Fine Arts Center. <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"University <\/a>
University High students participate in a graduation ceremony Friday, May 9, 2025 in the Fine Arts Center. <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"University <\/a>
University High students participate in a graduation ceremony Friday, May 9, 2025 in the Fine Arts Center. <\/div> <\/div>
\"University <\/a>
University High students participate in a graduation ceremony Friday, May 9, 2025 in the Fine Arts Center. <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"University <\/a>
University High students participate in a graduation ceremony Friday, May 9, 2025 in the Fine Arts Center. <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"University <\/a>
University High students participate in a graduation ceremony Friday, May 9, 2025 in the Fine Arts Center. <\/div> <\/div>
\"University <\/a>
University High students participate in a graduation ceremony Friday, May 9, 2025 in the Fine Arts Center. <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"University <\/a>
University High students participate in a graduation ceremony Friday, May 9, 2025 in the Fine Arts Center. <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"University <\/a>
University High students participate in a graduation ceremony Friday, May 9, 2025 in the Fine Arts Center. <\/div> <\/div>
\"University <\/a>
University High students participate in a graduation ceremony Friday, May 9, 2025 in the Fine Arts Center. <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"University <\/a>
University High students participate in a graduation ceremony Friday, May 9, 2025 in the Fine Arts Center. <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"University <\/a>
University High students participate in a graduation ceremony Friday, May 9, 2025 in the Fine Arts Center. <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"University <\/a>
University High students participate in a graduation ceremony Friday, May 9, 2025 in the Fine Arts Center. <\/div> <\/div>
\"University <\/a>
University High students participate in a graduation ceremony Friday, May 9, 2025 in the Fine Arts Center. <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"University <\/a>
University High students participate in a graduation ceremony Friday, May 9, 2025 in the Fine Arts Center. <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"University <\/a>
University High students participate in a graduation ceremony Friday, May 9, 2025 in the Fine Arts Center. <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"University <\/a>
University High students participate in a graduation ceremony Friday, May 9, 2025 in the Fine Arts Center. <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"University <\/a>
University High students participate in a graduation ceremony Friday, May 9, 2025 in the Fine Arts Center. <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"University <\/a>
University High students participate in a graduation ceremony Friday, May 9, 2025 in the Fine Arts Center. <\/div> <\/div>
\"University <\/a>
University High students participate in a graduation ceremony Friday, May 9, 2025 in the Fine Arts Center. <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"University <\/a>
University High students participate in a graduation ceremony Friday, May 9, 2025 in the Fine Arts Center. <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"University <\/a>
University High students participate in a graduation ceremony Friday, May 9, 2025 in the Fine Arts Center. <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"University <\/a>
University High students participate in a graduation ceremony Friday, May 9, 2025 in the Fine Arts Center. <\/div> <\/div>
\"University <\/a>
University High students participate in a graduation ceremony Friday, May 9, 2025 in the Fine Arts Center. <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"University <\/a>
University High students participate in a graduation ceremony Friday, May 9, 2025 in the Fine Arts Center. <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"University <\/a>
University High students participate in a graduation ceremony Friday, May 9, 2025 in the Fine Arts Center. <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Cheers and applause filled the Roland Hayes Concert Hall on Friday, May 9, as the inaugural graduating class of University High crossed the stage\u2014celebrating both their diplomas and a pioneering partnership between UTC and Hamilton County Schools.<\/p>\n

Continue Reading <\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1493,"featured_media":68303,"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":[64,70,123565,12659,7712,661,123143],"tags":[125610,122936,123827,124545,83631,123595,125573,122293,7276,125611,123057,125530,83594,123828,125612,124776,123829,99350,48024,125571,122720,122291],"class_list":{"0":"post-68287","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-academics","8":"category-dual-admission","9":"category-events-entertainment","10":"category-faculty-and-staff","11":"category-news","12":"category-students","13":"category-university-high","14":"tag-anna-millard","15":"tag-arielle-hayes","16":"tag-creating-the-mocs-experience","17":"tag-dual-enrollment","18":"tag-elaine-harper","19":"tag-erica-holmes-trujillo","20":"tag-focus-fridays","21":"tag-grant-knowles","22":"tag-hamilton-county-schools","23":"tag-kambriah-reynolds","24":"tag-kate-knox","25":"tag-laurie-allen","26":"tag-laurie-melnik-allen","27":"tag-leveraging-our-special-place-as-chattanoogas-university","28":"tag-malik-childress","29":"tag-mocs-learn-mocs-do-mocs-lead","30":"tag-operating-with-excellence","31":"tag-provost-jerold-hale","32":"tag-shewanee-howard-baptiste","33":"tag-shi-mae-bowling","34":"tag-stephanie-orr","35":"tag-university-high","36":"entry"},"yoast_head":"\nTrailblazers: University High\u2019s first graduating class shows what\u2019s possible\u00a0 | UTC News Archive: Jul 2007 - Oct 2025<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Cheers and applause filled the Roland Hayes Concert Hall on Friday, May 9, as the inaugural graduating class of University High crossed the stage\u2014celebrating both their diplomas and a pioneering partnership between UTC and Hamilton County Schools.\" \/>\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=\"Trailblazers: University High\u2019s first graduating class shows what\u2019s possible\u00a0 | UTC News Archive: Jul 2007 - Oct 2025\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Cheers and applause filled the Roland Hayes Concert Hall on Friday, May 9, as the inaugural graduating class of University High crossed the stage\u2014celebrating both their diplomas and a pioneering partnership between UTC and Hamilton County Schools.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/2025\/05\/trailblazers-university-highs-first-graduating-class-shows-whats-possible\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"UTC News Archive: Jul 2007 - 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