Walters State Builds on Workforce, Student Success Momentum
October 14, 2026
From leading Tennessee in workforce training to expanding academic programs and helping more high school students begin college early, Walters State is building on several areas of momentum as the college looks toward 2030.
President Dr. Saul Reyes highlighted that progress during the Walters State Foundation’s fall meeting, while also thanking Foundation members for the role they play in helping students reach the finish line.
“We have a lot to be proud of, but the numbers matter because of what they mean for people across East Tennessee,” Reyes said. “Whether it’s a student earning a credential, an employee gaining a new skill or someone receiving a scholarship that makes college possible, that impact extends well beyond our campuses.”
Leading Tennessee in Workforce Training
Walters State delivered more than 276,000 hours of non-credit workforce training last year, more than any other community college in Tennessee.
That represents nearly one of every five workforce training hours delivered by the state’s 13 community colleges. Five years after graduation, 83% of Walters State graduates are still employed in Tennessee, tying the highest rate among the state’s community colleges.
Walters State’s new strategic plan, “Designing a Better Future,” calls for building on that strength. The plan focuses on four priorities — access, student success, quality and stewardship — and includes a goal of increasing workforce training hours another 10% by 2030.
Starting College Earlier
Walters State also has the second-largest dual enrollment program among Tennessee’s community colleges.
Last fall, 2,368 high school students took Walters State classes. Together, they earned more than 12,000 college credit hours in a single semester and achieved a 92% success rate.
Other developments Reyes shared:
- A new Medical Laboratory Technology program at the Claiborne County Campus, supported by more than 20 regional clinical labs that have agreed to provide training opportunities.
- A new agreement with East Tennessee State University allowing Walters State respiratory care graduates to move directly into ETSU’s online bachelor’s program.
- Expansion of respiratory care to the Sevier County Campus, supported by a $1.4 million grant from the Tennessee Higher Education Commission. The program is currently offered at the Niswonger Campus.
Foundation Support Reaches Students
The Foundation received 872 gifts totaling more than $1.2 million last year. It awarded more than $667,000 in scholarships to 591 students, established five new named scholarships and raised more than $255,000 for the Emergency Relief Fund.
Reyes said that support can make the difference when an unexpected expense threatens to derail a student’s education.
“A few hundred dollars at the right moment can keep a student in school,” Reyes told Foundation members. “You make that possible.”
He closed with the story of Walters State student Lindsay Buffington, who entered college convinced she couldn’t succeed in math. With help from her professor, Disability Services and tutoring, Buffington changed the way she talked about challenges: whenever she thought she wasn’t good at something, she added the words “right now.”
Her goal was simply to pass statistics with a D.
“Your gifts don’t take the test for anybody,” Reyes said. “What you do is make sure students like her get the chance to try.”
To support the Walters State foundation, visit this page.
