East Tennessee State University’s May 10 commencement ceremonies celebrating the 2,012 members of the Class of 2025 highlighted the transformative power of education. Missy Testerman, the 2024 National Teacher of the Year, addressed graduates at the morning ceremony in the Ballad Health Athletic Center. She shared insights from her experience as a first-generation college graduate and educator, highlighting the impact teaching has on shaping future generations.
“You are stepping into a world that is complicated; yes, but it is also crackling with possibility,” Testerman told the graduates. “Your calling is not to fix everything. It’s to find the place where your passion meets the world’s needs, and to begin there.”