By Addison Chrivia, Editor
You get up early, drive thirty minutes to campus, and get to class only to find a sticky note on the door waiting for you, which reads: “Class Cancelled!” Frustrating, right? That’s why Panther Paws was made: to prevent issues like this. The system delivers text messages about emergencies and class changes right when they happen here at Pellissippi State Community College.
Even professors have last-minute emergencies and don’t always have the time to create an announcement on Brightspace. Not only that, but text messages give you an immediate alert, which students are much more likely to check than an email or random notification. Currently, the main way students are alerted about an emergency or drill is through email. Which, realistically, when someone is panicked or confused, their first thought is likely not checking their email.
Not only that, but imagine getting one of those alerts as someone whose first language isn’t English! There’s an extra barrier with notifications for international students, of whom Pellissippi State has many. We have such a large community of students whose first language isn’t English, and might not be sure that they read a Brightspace announcement correctly, or may mistranslate a sudden email. Panther Paws is rectifying this by having an option for Spanish notifications, with plans to expand further to include more languages! It currently works with WhatsApp as well, for those looking to avoid the international fees.
When asked about the future of Panther Paws, Will Hubbard, one of the creators, states,
“After the pilot program, the direction this is going to be is that we want a Pellissippi State student-made communication infrastructure tool to be in use, a wider regional tool.”
The hope is that Panther Paws will be implemented throughout Pellissippi State Community College, and maybe even expand to other colleges. This simple program could be a huge help for schools around the state that may struggle to communicate with their students.
Originally created as a capstone project for class, this program was pioneered by students Alana Stallworth and Will Hubbard after a professor told them that they couldn’t do it. However, that little challenge quickly grew and became a huge passion for both of them. Stallworth spoke about how important the project was both to her and fellow students, saying,
“I’m learning and getting experience while I’m in a safe environment. I love that now we can create something like this. The school gave me so much, and now it feels like I get to give back. I want to make the next generation of international students feel more comfortable at Pellissippi.”
Hubbard and Stallworth were vocal about the unanimous support they received from faculty and staff, who have been doing everything they can to help the pair achieve their vision. They also mentioned the opportunities they gained from networking with people in admin, and how helpful it was to build these workplace skills in a safe setting. Not only that, but how fulfilling it was for them to be able to contribute to the school and connect more with the community here at Pellissippi State.
Stallworth and Hubbard don’t want Panther Paws to just be a tool, but rather an inspiration for other students. A lot of students find themselves going through the motions, going to lessons, doing the required schoolwork, yet never going above and beyond or really connecting with others on campus. It can be a struggle to find that spark and passion that creates a genuine excitement for the things you do. Stallworth shared,
“If you want to find something exciting about your life, and you want to take what’s in front of you and turn it into something special, you don’t have to go looking for it. You can turn a class project into something that makes it easier to get up in the morning. You don’t have to go searching for things that are maybe not there. You have to make the most of what’s in front of you, even if it’s just a handout for a class project, an emergency alert system.”
Pellissippi State has a lot of opportunities for work-based learning options, where students can directly put schoolwork into practice and watch their efforts become realized. This kind of hands-on learning provides a much better opportunity to apply the concepts learned in class to a real-world setting. Furthermore, it gives students the ability to connect with other students and staff, as well as feel the satisfaction and fulfillment that comes with creating something that they’re proud of.
So, I challenge you, readers. Join a club on campus, volunteer for a group, or get overinvested in a project. Find those things that bring you joy and fulfillment, the things you’re good at or that nobody thinks you could possibly succeed at. Genuinely put in that effort, talk to the people you’re scared of, turn a school assignment into a passion, like Panther Paws! You’ll find that you are far more capable than you believe, simply because you tried things you never considered.
If you have a class that’s coordinated with Panther Paws, you can sign up here:
