By Emma Harrison, Editor
On September 25, 2025, the Tennessee Association for Student Success and Retention (TASSR) presented Imaginary Gardens Editor-in-Chief, Draven Copeland, with the Tennessee Undergraduate Student Research Award, making him the second Pellissippi State Community College student in a row to win this award. Last year’s 2024 award recipient, Charlie Dobyns, won for their undergraduate research project about AI usage at Pellissippi State Community College. Dobyns was also a member of Imaginary Gardens at this time.
TASSR’s vision is committed to student advocacy and bringing diverse voices together to share expertise and embrace innovations in education, seeking to be the voice of student success and retention in higher education in the state of Tennessee and beyond. Copeland is the perfect example of this vision. Both in and out of the newsroom, he finds a way to make students feel seen and appreciated.
Imaginary Gardens faculty mentor, Heather Schroeder, stated, “I’m delighted that Draven has been given this award. He has been instrumental in helping create the robust version of Imaginary Gardens that the college community enjoys each week. His vision, drive, and sense of responsibility underpin every process in the newsroom. He worked with me to establish the publication schedule and the workflow, while helping create a warm, welcoming organizational culture that has allowed many students to get involved and thrive while working with the journal.” Later on, Schroeder told IG staff, “Teachers learn from their students, and I have learned a lot from him.”
High impact practices (HIPs) are an educational method that uses intense, focused research to educate students with hands-on experiences; both Copeland and Dobyns won due to engaging in these levels of practices. HIPs are the backbone of the newsroom and something Imaginary Gardens is known for, even receiving a grant in 2024 to fund IG’s success. Every story is a chance for work-based learning that fuels the staff’s portfolio and overall experience in the workforce. With Copeland at the helm, Imaginary Gardens is truly a powerhouse for student success.
Imaginary Gardens faculty advisor, Anna Matsen-Cantrell, had the opportunity to join Copeland at the award ceremony to receive his award. When asked about her experience with him, she stated, “As one of two faculty mentors to Pellissippi’s student journal, Imaginary Gardens, I recently had the privilege of being present when Draven Copeland was presented with a much-deserved award for his role as editor-in-chief. His professionalism, his empathy, and his skill for motivating fellow students to create and publish high-quality articles, photographs, and much more is consistently impressive. His balance between guiding and empowering staff members is truly admirable, as is his recognition of the need to, with kindness and clarity, hold contributors accountable for their commitments. Imaginary Gardens has benefited greatly from his strong yet ever-improving leadership skills. It is clear that his work ethic and character will ensure his success not only in this endeavor but in any and all projects he pursues in the future. We at Pellissippi are truly fortunate for his presence in our student journal.”
Whether he’s leading meetings, writing with a creative flair, editing with attention to detail, or simply being a friend when in need, Copeland is dedicated to every single meeting, story, and person, pursuing success in each edition. Staff members say that he is an exceptional leader and an even better friend. Copeland never settles for less than his best work, and his consistency and dedication set the tone for everyone around him.
When thinking back on the award, Copeland said, “Working on the journal has been one of the most fulfilling parts of my life, not only for my personal work experience but also in being able to see other writers, editors, photographers, videographers, artists, and more find a place that they can belong and express themselves. It’s been amazing to be able to help people get their thoughts out to the world and create connections with others at the same time and in doing so, do the same for myself. I love being a part of the culture of the college and continuing to serve the students, especially at a time when we can feel unseen in the chaos that surrounds us, in classes, work, politics, and life in general. I’m thankful for the award, I’m thankful for my editorial team and staff, I’m thankful for Heather Schroeder and Anna Matsen-Cantrell for backing me all of the way, I’m thankful for the readers and I’m thankful for all of the opportunities that have opened up in my life since I started working on Imaginary Gardens, it’s been an awesome experience that I’ll always appreciate.” Beyond his achievements, Copeland is admired for his humility and authenticity. I can personally say on behalf of the Imaginary Gardens team, we are immensely proud of Draven Copeland for his hard work and dedication to IG. He is the perfect example of kindness and tenacity, and I look forward to continuing to learn under his guidance and leadership. We are so blessed to have him lead us into success.
