Holly Vincent
Tuesday, October 31, 2017 12:00 AM
Community, Alumni
ATHENS, Tenn. – For Mickey Blevins, Director of McMinn County Schools, Cleveland State was the “obvious choice” to start his education. Blevins grew up in Calhoun and never strayed too far from home returning to Calhoun after college at both CSCC and Lee College (now University).
“It was close to home, so the location was key,” stated Blevins. “I thought it was a great environment. I loved the small school setting which allowed me to be in a class of 15-20 instead of being one of 200 students. All of my professors knew my name when I saw them on campus.”
For Blevins, there was one professor that that stood out from the rest. “Dr. Spencer Culbreth was one of my favorite instructors. I was a history major, so I loved the curriculum, but Dr. Culbreth was humble and kind, and he had a great sense of humor! You could just tell he enjoyed being around all of the students. I took every class he taught.”
Blevins credits his instructors for preparing him for his smooth transition to Lee where he received his Bachelor of Science in Education. He later received his Master’s degree from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC) in Administration and Supervision, as well as his Ed.S. in Administration and Supervision from Lincoln Memorial University (LMU).
Although he is an alum of four different schools, Blevins said he has fond memories of CSCC. “I remember hanging out in the Student Center, playing pool, going to ballgames, and getting involved in the Baptist Student Union on campus…Cleveland State rarely closed for inclement weather, so I can also remember a lot of snowball fights on campus!”
According to Blevins, he recommends CSCC to others and calls the college a “no brainer” because of programs such as the Tennessee Promise and the Tennessee Reconnect coming this fall.
“I’ve never regretted a moment of additional education,” stated Blevins. “It has made my life better and created more opportunities for me, so why would someone not take advantage of that?”
Cleveland State Community College is a Tennessee Board of Regents institution