Savannah Clay (’17) is able to nurse ICU patients thanks to her UT scholarships.
“I always wanted to be a nurse,” says Savannah Clay. “My grandmother was a nurse, and I saw how you could impact someone’s life on a daily basis.” Upon visiting UT from her hometown of Ooltewah, Clay says, “I saw the excitement of the students and that everyone cared about each other—it was like they were the Volunteer family.
“I did not get into the nursing program my freshman year, but I thought, ‘If I get there, I can work really hard and get in.’ Because of my scholarships and with the love and amazing support of my parents, Chris and Sabrina Clay, I was able to focus on my schoolwork. My sophomore year I got in, and it was one of the happiest days of my life.
“The scholarships made it possible for me to follow my dream. Without them, I wouldn’t have been able to get through college the way I did, in four years and without thousands of dollars in debt.”
I just can’t express how grateful I am for the education I got at UT.
– Savannah Clay (’17)
During the Mr. and Mrs. Freshman Pageant, a fundraiser for the Multicultural Mentoring Program, Clay met and started dating Cullen Johnson, an industrial engineering major who was also a Bible study teacher, National Association of Black Engineers mentor to inner-city middle schoolers and UT freshmen, and a sax player in UT’s Love United Gospel Choir. Among other activities, Clay served on the College of Nursing Dean’s Advisory Board and in student government. Both Clay and Johnson were Student Alumni Associates and were honored as Torchbearers, UT’s highest student award.
Today, Johnson is a technology development engineer at AT&T in Atlanta. Clay works in a surgical intensive care unit at Erlanger Health System in Chattanooga. They plan to marry next year.
“The UT experience was life changing,” says Clay. “It was my first time away from home. I found out who I was. I found myself, made some of my best lifelong friends and connections, and got all of those sweet memories that I’ll take with me through life. I just can’t express how grateful I am for the education I got at UT.”
