The Extraordinary Campus Leadership and Service awards recognize graduating students who are extraordinary campus leaders for their significant service to others.
William Blankenship
William Blankenship will graduate this May with his degree in mechanical engineering. Throughout his time at UT, he has been involved in the Jones Center for Leadership and Service and the Engineering Professional Practice Office, as well as numerous engineering organizations. He is passionate about STEM outreach and community involvement.
What does being a Volunteer mean to you? How has UT empowered you to make a difference in a way you might not have imagined elsewhere?
Being a Volunteer means to serve one’s community and become a part of something bigger than oneself. During my time at the University of Tennessee, I have come to value servant leadership. I have had many opportunities to serve as a leader within my community of students, as well as my local community. Through this, I have been able to form many valuable relationships with all kinds of people. I have met a lot of people of different backgrounds who do amazing things in their community. Hearing their stories has been inspiring and pushes me to strive towards leaving a legacy through service. All the opportunities I have had at UT have shaped me into who I am today and prepared me to continue being a Volunteer as I enter industry.
Lauren Eccles
Lauren Eccles is a senior from Jefferson City, Tennessee, majoring in chemical and biomolecular engineering with minors in environmental engineering and leadership studies. She is a member of the Cook Grand Challenge and Honors Leadership Programs and has served as a research assistant, teaching assistant, and officer for Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honor Society and the American Institute of Chemical Engineers.
What does being a Volunteer mean to you? How has UT empowered you to make a difference in a way you might not have imagined elsewhere?
Being a Volunteer means always thinking of others and using my abilities to improve the path for those on the journey behind me. I see Volunteers as individuals who are involved in the campus and community while actively working to help others and better our environment. UT has provided me numerous opportunities, experiences, academic resources, and mentorships that enabled me to engage with this community in ways I wouldn’t have found elsewhere.
Saylar Epperson
Saylar Epperson is a senior from Maynardville, Tennessee, majoring in political science. She is a student director for VOLbreaks, a Jones Center Ambassador, and a Senior Intern in the Jones Center for Leadership and Service. Additionally, she is a member of Alpha Chi Omega Sorority and a Baker Scholar.
What does being a Volunteer mean to you? How has UT empowered you to make a difference in a way you might not have imagined elsewhere?
To me, being a Volunteer means serving others in a community by helping them achieve their goals and meet their needs. It means using the resources that you have to help empower others. The people that I have met on Rocky Top have been transformative to my experience in college. They have shown me what it means to be a part of a community and have given me the tools to be able to leave UT and make an impact in the world beyond campus.
Paola Gomez
Paola Gomez is a first-generation social work student from Charlotte, North Carolina, and will be graduating in May 2022. She will continue her education at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, to pursue a master’s in social work. In her free time, she enjoys reading and spending time with family and friends.
What does being a Volunteer mean to you? How has UT empowered you to make a difference in a way you might not have imagined elsewhere?
Being a Volunteer means stepping forward and taking action to pave the way for others. In the various roles that I have held throughout my time at Tennessee, I have been able to make a difference in the communities around me by putting others first through service. UT has empowered me to identify what I am passionate about and encouraged me to find ways to get involved to make a difference.
Samantha Huang
Samantha Huang (she/her) is a senior graphic design student minoring in entrepreneurship. Through her involvement with the United Residence Halls Council and Campus Events Board, she oversees the planning of a variety of programs that enrich students’ experiences and has the privilege of contributing to her peers’ identity and leadership development.
What does being a Volunteer mean to you? How has UT empowered you to make a difference in a way you might not have imagined elsewhere?
I look forward to being unironic when I tell folks that I’m a VFL. When I say I’m a Volunteer, I’m inviting you to reach out to me, to let me act as an opportunity. There is no right way to be a Volunteer, and there are opportunities for anyone to be involved and gain experiences from UT. I found those opportunities in the Campus Events Board, the United Residence Halls Council, the National Residence Hall Honorary, the English Language Institute, the Pride Center, and the App Farm. Being a Volunteer means I’ll skip out on the sports games and instead bleed orange at conferences and programming meetings. If there is an opportunity to help make a problem more right or create a new solution, I’ll run with it. Whether the impact is big or small on paper, it’s about giving my energy to contribute to the meaningful experiences of others. Nothing brings me more fulfillment than seeing the growth of committee members, hall council members, chapter members, international students, mentees, and residents. Vols help Vols, so I know that if I help these students get to the best places they can be, they’ll pay it forward.
Isabelle Marshall
Isabelle Marshall (she/her) is a senior majoring in public administration and minoring in political science and public policy analytics. A first-generation college student from Spring City, Tennessee, she is part of many student organizations, including the Tennessee Speech and Debate Society, Student Government Association, Vols Vote, Baker Scholars, and Leading Women of Tomorrow. After graduation, she plans to move to Washington, DC, to work at Fannie Mae.
What does being a Volunteer mean to you? How has UT empowered you to make a difference in a way you might not have imagined elsewhere?
Being a Volunteer is best described in the Torchbearer’s Creed of shadowing one’s self to give light to others. It means acting with a sense of servant leadership and uplifting others according to your means. UT has empowered me to be the leader I am by being willing to support me and engage me in a way that I have never experienced before.
Joseph Roebuck
Joe Roebuck of Brentwood, Tennessee, is a senior pursuing a supply chain management major with a statistics minor. He’s a Haslam Scholar, Leadership Knoxville Scholar, and Supply Chain Scholar of Distinction. His ultimate goal is to champion data-driven sustainable supply chains that maximize consumer value while curbing climate change. On campus, Roebuck served as the president of the first-ever Sustainable Procurement Group, president of the International Business Club, Haslam Student Advisory Council, Alpha Gamma Rho Fraternity, Amachi mentor, and other organizations.
What does being a Volunteer mean to you? How has UT empowered you to make a difference in a way you might not have imagined elsewhere?
Being a Volunteer means giving of yourself with no expectation of value in return. Whether comforting a friend in their longest night or blazing a new trail for those who come after, volunteering is an active state with no trophy or medallion in mind. No task too trivial or too grand scares away a Volunteer, even if it is picking up trash. At times, a Volunteer must lead the way and create new structures to meet the change they seek. What if students had a say in how UT spends their tuition? UT enabled me to ask my burning question. What is yours? I am forever grateful for the students, faculty, and staff who have inspired me to do more, be more, and give more. Life is tough, wear a helmet.
Morgan Strong
From Memphis, Tennessee, Morgan Strong is a senior majoring in biochemistry & cellular and molecular biology and minoring in neuroscience. At UT, Strong founded the Brain Exercise Initiative to help seniors improve cognition while creating clinical opportunities for students. She serves on multiple advisory boards and as a Head UTA. She has numerous research achievements and volunteers frequently with YWAC and at vaccination clinics.
What does being a Volunteer mean to you? How has UT empowered you to make a difference in a way you might not have imagined elsewhere?
Being a Volunteer means stepping up to meet the needs of your community and much bigger causes. It means leading with spirit, courage, conviction, and sacrifice. With UT’s resources, I was able to identify a need and connect with a community of students willing to meet that need. Then, I worked hard to solidify its impact on the community through inspiration, training, and diligence.
During my time at UT, I seized every opportunity to research, teach, and inspire others. At UT, I found a campus full of people who share a desire to help others and make a significant impact. Additionally, UT uniquely fosters the Volunteer Spirit, where students are willing to dedicate their time and energy to make a change and see it through!
Rachael White
Rachael White is an outstanding student who works diligently at everything she puts her mind to. She is a leader in every area making strides on campus in the Jones Center of Leadership & Service, the Office of Sorority & Fraternity Life, and the Haslam College of Business to name a few. Her motto is “to be a resource for others.” She has a bright future ahead of her as she pursues a master’s degree in higher education administration at the University of Houston.
What does being a Volunteer mean to you? How has UT empowered you to make a difference in a way you might not have imagined elsewhere?
The saying “VOL is a verb” really resonates with me because it means to take action. With everything I do on campus, it is to take action and be a resource for other students on campus. UT has empowered me to want to continue to be a resource for students as I pursue a career in higher education administration (college student personnel).
Reginald Williams II
Reginald Williams II is a student in kinesiology and pre-medicine/pre-medical studies from Memphis.
What does being a Volunteer mean to you? How has UT empowered you to make a difference in a way you might not have imagined elsewhere?
Being a Volunteer means honoring those before you, so that you can uplift those that come after you. In honoring those before you, it is important to continue their work while making opportunities easier for those behind you to imagine and obtain new opportunities.
UT has empowered me to serve others. As a Volunteer there is a need to be of service to those around you. As student body vice president I have had the opportunity to serve my peers as an advocate for their needs and sow seeds of change for future Volunteers.