"Who We Are Counts"

This spring semester the Roan Scholars are participating in a series of workshops offered by the “Who We Are Counts Institute”, a new division of Stewart & Associates of Kingsport. Using a “Personal Profile System” and three accompanying workshops, the institute aims to “create an environment where human relationships are strengthened through understanding, acceptance, and appreciation of Who We Are”.

After all scholars took the DISC personality test, Mr. John Autry, the main facilitator of the program,  started, as he calls, it, their “journey of significance”. The workshop contents was split into three groups: “a journey inward” (self discovery), “a journey outward” (communication and people skills), and managing external as well as internal pressures and conflict. Students were encouraged to view their distinct personal gifts positively and learned to appreciate the validity of differing personality styles, via a combination of lectures, interactive exercises, a stress test, and other activities.

“Having this set of skills sets up each scholar with a tremendous advantage in terms of understanding human relationships and making the most out of many challenging situations they may find themselves in”, states program director Kristina Bullock. Freshman Emily Eisenhower, graduate of Cocke County High School, adds, "The Who We Are Counts program has provided valuable insight into managing the stresses of daily college life, as well as improved my communication skills with others. It has not only enriched my understanding and respect for people with different personalities, but has also helped me to discover that who we are truly does count!"

Daniel Miller to Travel to Mexico

"As part of the Roan Scholars Program, this winter I have had the opportunity to job shadow Dr. Paul Brown from Johnson City Internal Medicine and observed him in the hospital and clinic, as well. However, in March these sterile environments will be traded for the medical mission field in Ixtepec, Mexico, where Dr. Brown and his associates will be taking their annual mission trip. He has been gracious to extend a welcoming hand and allow me to join the 2010 Mission Team. The local traditional experiences here in Johnson City in combination with the mission trip to come have and will continue to give me a sense of community and strengthen my goal to serve in rural family medicine."



Katharine Jones Accepted for Fall 2010

Katharine Elizabeth Jones, 2007 E.T.S.U. Roan Scholar, has been accepted to the prestigious Washington Center in Washington, D.C. for the Fall 2010 semester.  The Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars provides an integrated academic and work experience to prepare college students and professionals for lives of achievement and civic engagement.  "The Washington Center experience will compliment the values of self respect, dedication, ethics, courage, teamwork, and the pursuit of the highest standards of performance which the Roan Scholars Program has instilled in me."  While enrolled in the Washington Center's Law and Criminal Justice Program, Katie will be working as an intern with a related Federal government agency.  She recently completed a yearlong internship position with the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia.  Upon graduating from E.T.S.U., Katie desires to enter law school and pursue a career as a Federal Prosecutor with the U.S. Attorney General's Office.

We are also excited about our recent Roan graduates' plans:
(In their own words)

Amber Preston
Although the concept of graduating is still something I am getting used to, it has indeed come and gone, leaving me in the “real world” trying to attempt life as a “big girl.” Before graduating I began interviewing with area hospitals and indeed accepted a position at the Johnson City Medical Center working on a step down intensive care floor. About a month after accepting my diploma in the mini-dome I took my “boards,” otherwise known as the NCLEX, a national licensure test for nursing accreditation. With utmost thanks and glory to whom it is due, I passed my boards and am now a Certified Registered Nurse! Working day to day as a nurse is so different than the school-based “clinical” experience. Whether it’s calling doctors, administering medication, assessing patients for the slightest difference in neurovascular status or change, or just learning the floor day-to-day dynamic – it’s fast paced and exciting. Having now applied for graduate school at East Tennessee State University, I am hoping to soon take the next steps in achieving the long-sought after goal of becoming a Nurse Practitioner.  As I continue to seek the plans He has for me (Jeremiah 29:11), I am continually encouraged by the Roan community, and living, day by day, with excitement in this “real world.”

Sabrina Satterfield
The Roan Experience was huge part of who I am as a recent college graduate. Currently running the Casual Care facility at the Basler Center for Physical Activity I have been challenged to manage people in work setting. I often find myself relaying on the skills I gained during my Roan Experience. Also during my graduate course work at Liberty University I have been asked several times to reflect on my leadership as an educator. For me this seems like an easy task because through the program I was often challenged to evaluate who I was as a leader and how I could improve my methods. I really appreciate all of the benefits that the program offered me and I know that I am now more prepared for my future in the field of education, as a future army wife, and an overall member of a society. It is through this program that I learned about the importance of each member of a community and the vitality of continuously giving back. In the future I can only hope that I have the opportunity to give back to the program a fraction of the way it has given to me.