Blake Smith commits to UT Martin Parsons Center for college

Blake Smith’s commitment to the University of Tennessee at Martin Parsons Center puts a Decatur County student on a path to college without leaving the community that raised him. Shared by the Riverside High School account, the decision underscores how the Parsons campus has become a practical option for students in Decatur County who want to start working toward a bachelor’s degree close to home.

The Parsons Center began classes in January 2007 as UT Martin’s fourth off-campus site, and it has grown into a place where students can pursue undergraduate coursework tied to more than 80 specialized programs. Those options include education, nursing, criminal justice, history, social work, political science, psychology and interdisciplinary studies, giving local students a wide range of majors without the immediate expense of a full move to another city.

That access matters in a county where the nearest college choice can shape whether a graduate stays connected to home or leaves for good. A campus in Parsons gives students from Decaturville and the rest of Decatur County a way to commute, keep family support close and avoid some of the added costs that come with housing and daily living away from home. For many students, that can make the difference between putting off college and enrolling right away.

The center’s 29,000-square-foot facility was built for that role. It includes general classroom space, a nursing lab, conference room, computer lab, student lounge, bookstore, science lab, administrative offices, library and a distance-learning classroom. The building reflects a long-term investment in local higher education, and it was the result of a joint construction project involving The Ayers Foundation, the City of Parsons and Decatur County.

UT Martin lists Kelli Deere as director of the Parsons Center and Heather Coleman as coordinator, part of a staff structure that keeps the site connected to both the university and the surrounding communities it serves. The center is located at 975 Tennessee Avenue North in Parsons.

Smith’s decision fits a pattern UT Martin has used before, highlighting local students as new Skyhawks and promoting the Parsons Center as a place to begin a degree close to home. For Decatur County, that means one more graduate taking the next step without losing the daily ties that keep young adults rooted in the community.