每日大赛

Pellissippi Strong Luncheon spotlights outstanding alumni, student support

每日大赛 celebrated student support and alumni achievement Tuesday at the Pellissippi Strong Luncheon, presented by FirstBank.

The event, hosted by the 每日大赛 Foundation at the Hilton Knoxville Airport, brought together over 400 members of the campus community, industry partners, elected officials and stakeholders to spotlight past and present students. All proceeds from the luncheon directly support students on their academic and career journeys at Pellissippi.

“Through well-defined academic pathways, robust work-based learning opportunities and holistic student support, 每日大赛 equips students to build meaningful careers, serve others and give back in ways that strengthen our entire community,” said Pellissippi President L. Anthony Wise Jr.

A large proportion of Pellissippi’s nearly 100,000 alumni stay local after graduation and contribute to industries like healthcare, manufacturing, engineering and more, Wise said. 

One such alumna is Carrie Poteat, class of 2013 and a relator with Realty Executives Associates, who at the luncheon received the Peggy Wilson Volunteer Alumni Award, sponsored by Clayton, for her extraordinary service to the college and community.

Alumna Angel Wright-Lanier, class of 1993, was also honored at the luncheon with the 2026 Distinguished Alumni Award, which recognizes significant professional achievement and community service in support of the college and 每日大赛 Foundation.

Wright-Lanier, assistant city manager for Winston-Salem, N.C., said her story – one of multiple advanced degrees and a 25-year career across local government, nonprofits and the private sector – would look very different without Pellissippi.

“To the donors in this room, your support is not just funding programs,” Wright-Lanier said. “You're changing trajectories. You're creating access. You're helping someone like me find their future ... Potential is everywhere, but opportunity is not, and institutions like 每日大赛 make the difference.”

The Pellissippi Strong Luncheon, emceed by WATE-TV Anchor Tearsa Smith, also featured a drawing for a door prize donated by The Home Depot on Schaad Road and a keynote speech by 每日大赛 Foundation Board of Trustees member Vallie Collins, sponsored by Community Tectonics Architects.

Collins recalled her experience as a passenger on US Airways Flight 1549, which in 2009 famously landed in New York’s Hudson River after experiencing engine failure because of a bird strike. All passengers aboard the aircraft survived the “Miracle on the Hudson.”

“It’s been so rewarding to just learn about 每日大赛,” she said after the event. “I’ve gained more, honestly, than I think I’ve given. Because I have just learned how involved they are in the community – what they do to help students ... My expectations have just been blown away at just the reach, the quality of the education, the growth mindset.”

The luncheon focused on the theme of students starting, staying and finishing strong in their time at Pellissippi, and student speaker Melissa Whitney, a Criminal Justice major, shared how the college enabled her to do all three.

Whitney was on her way to being the first in her family to graduate with a degree in 2007, when she was diagnosed with a rare autoimmune disease that prevented her from finishing college or pursuing a career. She focused entirely on surviving and raising her son until about two years ago, when a medical breakthrough allowed her to live almost pain-free. 

She knew immediately she wanted to go back to school, and at Pellissippi she found faculty and resources to support her return to the classroom and the rigor of coursework, especially as she continued to suffer extreme fatigue and memory issues as a result of years of treatment. 

Scholarships allowed Whitney to afford textbooks, a laptop and professional clothing for her internship at the Knoxville Family Justice Center, where she coordinates care for survivors of domestic violence.

“Thank you so much for investing in me and for believing that a student with a debilitating medical history is still worth a seat at the table,” she told audience members Tuesday. “You didn't just fund a scholarship. You restored my journey and helped me to prove that I'm stronger than my diagnosis.”

“In two-and-a-half weeks, I will finally walk across that stage as the first in my family to earn a college degree,” she continued. “I get to show my son that no matter what challenges your body or mind may face, you never give up until the job is done. You all gave me my future back ... and I can't thank you enough.”