Three Nursing Students Awarded the Sam H. Odom Scholarship By the Board Of Regents

Napierra Alexander
Thursday, November 18, 2021 12:00 AM
Students, Community, Press Releases, All

CLEVELAND, Tenn. - This fall semester, three nursing students at Cleveland State Community College were awarded the Sam H. Odom Scholarship from the Sam H. Odom Foundation Trust and Tennessee Board of Regents. This scholarship was awarded to Alyssa Fox, Alyssa Silva, and Cassie Webb. Each student received $1,000 for the fall 2021 semester. 

“We are proud of the accomplishments of our nursing students and we are especially pleased with students who exemplify the criteria of leadership and community service involvement set forth in the Sam H Odom scholarship,” stated Nancy Thomas, Director of Nursing at CSCC. “Our congratulations to Alyssa Fox, Alyssa Silva and Cassie Webb for being awarded this scholarship and representing Cleveland State Nursing in this way.”

Alyssa Fox is a Bradley County resident and a young mother who hopes to one day become a nurse in a Mother / Baby unit because of her love for babies. She plans to graduate with her Associate of Applied Science in Nursing, also known as a Registered Nursing degree, in the spring of 2022. Fox continues to receive scholarships and participates as a member of the Honors College. 

“I was actually the recipient of this scholarship in the fall of 2020,” stated Fox. “Mrs. (Nancy) Thomas (Director of Nursing) encouraged me to apply. I love being able to be in a nursing college with people who are truly compassionate and want to see you succeed…it feels amazing to have the privilege to receive a scholarship that will help me pursue my dreams of becoming a certified RN.”

Alyssa Silva is a Rhea county resident who grew up in Leesburg, Georgia. She found her passion in nursing by watching her mother care for both her grandparents who were battling illnesses. Being a mother to a 2-year old son motivates Silva to achieve her career goals. She plans to continue her work in critical care and would love to work for a local emergency department. Silva plans to graduate from CSCC in the Spring of 2022 and continue her education to become a registered nurse.

“I chose my major because I grew up watching my mom take care of both my grandparents during their time of illness,” stated Silva. “Unfortunately, my mom was unable to finish college due to their conditions. She continued to work full-time, raise me and take care of them and their needs in the process. So, seeing this molded me into being a caregiver and helping people the best way I know how.”

Cassie Webb is a Hamilton county resident who is already on the front lines as a firefighter and EMT-B with the Chattanooga Fire Department. She is a mother of two who received her Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science Pre-Med at UTC, but since the pandemic she decided to return to school to pursue nursing. Webb plans to graduate from Cleveland State at the end of 2022. 

“I've always enjoyed helping people and serving others within the community,” stated Webb. “The pandemic proved that we'll never know what life throws in our path or for how long, and nursing seemed like a great career choice when it comes to serving others in a time of need.”

The Sam H. Odom scholarship was established in 2015 to provide scholarship funds to students who are enrolled in a Tennessee community college, pursuing an Associate of Applied Science in Nursing degree. One student per college may earn the honor each academic year to help them finish their education and make their way into the nursing workforce.

For more information on Cleveland State Community College, visit the website at
clevelandstatecc.edu or email clscc_info@clevelandstatecc.edu. If you are interested in applying,
visit mycs.cc/applynow. Students are currently enrolled online and on-campus through the CSCC
main campus in Cleveland, Tennessee, as well as CSCC’s Athens Center in Athens, Tennessee
and Monroe County Center in Vonore, Tennessee.

CSCC earned the Tennessee Board of Regent’s 2019 College of The Year. CSCC directly serves
Bradley, McMinn, Meigs, Monroe, and Polk Counties in Tennessee. The College System of
Tennessee is the state’s largest public higher education system, with 13 community colleges, 27
colleges of applied technology and the online TN eCampus serving more than 140,000 students.