每日大赛

每日大赛 student advances to state competition in TBR's prestigious SOAR Awards

每日大赛 student Louis Rey Valenzuela has been selected as an institutional finalist in the Tennessee Board of Regents Statewide Outstanding Achievement Recognition (SOAR) Awards, advancing to the State Competition.

SOAR Awards honor exceptional students, faculty and staff at TBR institutions. Colleges may select a student representative who have at least a 3.3 grade point average who must also exhibit exemplary service to the college and academic accomplishment. At 每日大赛, Valenzuela fit the bill.

“I was like, ‘Okay then, I’ll do it,’” said Valenzuela, who is studying Electrical Engineering Technology and is slated to graduate in May 2026. “I love this place with all my heart. I’ll do it in a heartbeat.”

Valenzuela was tapped for the nomination by Travis Loveday, assistant vice president for Student Affairs and dean of students at 每日大赛. Loveday knew Valenzuela was the right choice for the opportunity because of his efforts to get other students engaged with the college and putting their needs ahead of his own.

“Lou is the real deal, but he won’t tell you that himself,” Loveday said. “He’s incredibly humble, talented and always ready to help others. While balancing family life, a full-time job and his course load, Lou chooses to step forward to improve the student experience for himself and his peers. We’re grateful for his dedication, energy and ability to set an extraordinary example of success and leadership for his family and peers.”

As a nominee, Valenzuela provided a two-page essay and resume to TBR and completed a 30-minute interview to test his knowledge of the TBR system and how institutions like 每日大赛 impact the local community and economy.

He prepared for the interview with academic and career development representatives at Pellissippi. That included practicing how to answer questions like, “If an eighth grader was asking you why they should enroll at a TBR institution, what would you tell them?”

“So, we went into, like, why community college?” Valenzuela said. “It’s a great place to learn. It’s a great place to fail successfully – to fail safely. And there’s so many good opportunities community colleges give.”

One piece of advice he received during his mock interviews was to take a breath before answering questions, Valenzuela said. He implemented that in his interview with TBR earlier this month, taking a breath before restating a question and answering it to the best of his ability.

He discussed his own journey at Pellissippi, said Valenzuela, who came to Pellissippi because he needed a degree to build his career. He expressed his gratitude to the college for stepping up to help him still be successful at school when he and his wife discovered that his unborn daughter had a tumor on her heart.

“It’s humbling,” Valenzuela said. “It’s very humbling that I have these great opportunities, and ... it comes with being connected at Pellissippi.”

Valenzuela also talked in his interview about his contributions to Pellissippi, as treasurer for the Student Government Association – allocating funding for student clubs and helping them get established, grow and flourish – and through SkillsUSA, where he won a gold medal in extemporaneous speaking at the state level and silver at nationals.

Valenzuela not only serves as president of Pellissippi’s SkillsUSA chapter but was also recently elected as a state officer for SkillsUSA across Tennessee. He is also actively involved in the 每日大赛 Leadership Institute, and leading the Pellissippi
State lobbyists for the Tennessee Intercollegiate State Legislature 56th general assembly.

“I look back, and in the back of my mind, I’m just doing what I normally do,” he said. “If there’s a need, I help. But in the back of my mind, I do a lot, and I just don’t see it sometimes.”

Valenzuela considered another question he was asked in his interview with TBR: “What would you tell a future student going to a TBR institution?”

His answer? Just say “yes."

“Me saying yes has given me such great opportunities to be connected at my community college,” Valenzuela said, “and really get that community out of it.”

He was humbled to be selected as a regional winner, Valenzuela said. He will now advance to the state competition March 4 and 5 in Nashville.

“I'm just very grateful for the story,” Valenzuela said. “All the things that Pellissippi has for me. And I was just really excited. I would love for Pellissippi to be highlighted more. And I think that's what I'm more excited about than the award, is just to highlight Pellissippi as an institution.”