Walters State to the Tennessee General Assembly

Stephen Horner didn't set out to work in state government. He started at Walters State Community College with an interest in history and public service and slowly figured out where that could take him. 

Today he's legislative assistant to State Rep. Chris Todd, chairman of the Tennessee House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee. His work covers policy research, legislative advising, committee administration, constituent services, communications, and coordination with local, state, and federal offices.

"Walters State prepared me professionally by providing a variety of extracurricular activities and organizations that allowed me to interact with career professionals, campus leadership and other students," Horner said.

Finding opportunities beyond the classroom

Some of what shaped Horner's future happened in Walters State classrooms. Some of it happened hundreds of miles away. 

In summer 2019, he interned in Washington, D.C., through The Fund for American Studies and the Ronald Reagan Foundation, an opportunity he said he likely would never have pursued without encouragement from Walters State's Marlin Curnutt, enrollment development director at the college’s Claiborne County Campus.  

“Walters State prepared me professionally by providing a variety of extracurricular activities and organizations that allowed me to interact with career professionals, campus leadership and other students.” Stephen Horner

On campus, Student Government Association helped him develop professional communication skills, and Baptist Collegiate Ministries led to friendships he still has. 

Faculty pushed him too. Dr. Robert Pratt, associate professor of Communication, became a mentor and brought him onto the Speech and Debate Team. Kelsey Solomon, assistant dean of Humanities and associate professor of English, challenged him as a thinker and writer. Adjunct instructor Steven Lawrence deepened his interest in public service, both through coursework and by bringing public officials into the classroom. 

"Faculty and professors balanced challenging materials with ongoing mentorship that enabled me to more resourcefully utilize my strengths and address weaknesses," he said. 

Those years prepared him for his final two years of undergraduate study at Carson-Newman University, and for graduate school after that.

Turning an interest into a career

Horner sees public service as a way to turn ideas about government and citizenship into decisions that actually affect people. 

"I have always felt that it was incumbent upon me as a pupil of history and a free citizen to devote my energy and resources to preserving democratic values while preparing for the future," Horner said. 

At the General Assembly, he researches policy and advises on legislation, helps manage administrative functions for the Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee, works with government offices on policy and district issues, oversees official correspondence, deals directly with constituents, and helps Tennesseans navigate programs like TennCare and unemployment benefits. 

His advice for students who see themselves on a similar path: don't wait. 

"Fully embrace that interest and utilize every resource and opportunity made available that allows you to learn and directly interact in the field," he said. 

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