Nashville State Graduation At TCIX

ONLY - Thursday night 23 students graduated from Nashville State Community College.  What makes this graduation special is that the students are also inmates of Turney Center Industrial Complex.  These inmates not only attended classes while in prison, they took part in the same rigorous course load as the free-world Nashville State students.

According to Craig Carnes one of the graduates of the program “I have limitless opportunities now.  I can strive to do better. When I fill out a job application, I don’t have to not have any type of job skills, I have a paper to go with it.”

TDOC Commissioner Tony C. Parker offered words of encouragement along with Brandon Gibson, Senior Advisor to Governor Bill Lee.  Dr. Shanna Jackson, President of Nashville State Community College, also encouraged the graduates saying “I ask each of you to be ambassadors for Nashville State and encourage others to pursue their education.”

This collaboration is made possible through a partnership with the Tennessee Higher Education Initiative (THEI).  THEI operates higher education partnerships at two prisons – Turney Center Industrial Complex and Northwest Correctional Complex.  TDOC also has higher education partnerships between Lipscomb University and Tennessee Prison for Women and Rhodes College and the Women’s Therapeutic Residential Center in Henning.

*Please find B-Roll and Soundbites attached. Names in order of appearance are:

• Molly Lasagna, Executive Director of THEI (:18)

• Craig Carnes, Graduate (1:52)

• Molly Lasagna (at the podium at 4:01)

• Warden Kevin Genovese (7:16)

• Brandon Gibson, Senior Advisor to Governor Bill Lee (8:22)

• Commissioner Tony Parker (9:21)

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/ojj7wd32e7acgy8/AAD6hBFbKhFvpjHDd2AiuKzEa?dl=0