From the rich tapestry of Southern life to the vibrant community of the University of Tennessee, join us as we sit down with Dr. Tyvi Small, the inspiring Vice Chancellor of Access and Engagement. Tyvi’s journey from Pahokee, Florida, to his impactful role in Tennessee is filled with lessons on leadership, family, and faith. The conversation extends to creating supportive environments, like the one fostered at the University of Tennessee, where students can thrive and embrace their potential. Discover how his roots shaped his approach to community building in both his personal and professional life. Listen to this amazing episode!!
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Check us out to hear the latest on life in the
volunteer state.
Yvonca and her guests discusseverything from life, love and
business with a Tennessee flair.
It's a Tennessee thing, alwaysrelatable, always relevant and
always a good time.
This is Talkin' Tennessee, andnow your host, yvonca.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
This episode is brought to you by the Landis
team, your go-to real estatefamily in East Tennessee.
If you are looking to buy orsell, we are the ones you should
call.
Give us a call at 865-660-1186or check out our website at
YvoncaSellsRealEstatecom.
That's Yvonca Y-V-O-N-N-C-ASalesRealEstatecom.
Speaker 3 (00:48):
Welcome back to Talking Tennessee with Yvonne Ca
.
I'm your host and this week isopening week and we're opening
up with Tavi Small withUniversity of Tennessee.
He's the Vice Chancellor ofAccess and Engagement.
Welcome.
Speaker 4 (01:04):
Thank you for having me.
Speaker 3 (01:05):
Most definitely, most definitely.
Well, we were talking aboutthis off camera, and so we're
going to talk about it on camera.
How did we meet?
Speaker 4 (01:12):
I don't know.
I think it was at an event andit was probably on campus.
I think it was on campus.
Speaker 3 (01:18):
I think it was too it was an event on campus.
I will tell you this.
Been on campus, I will tell youthis I always find different
people in the community that Ican look up to that has achieved
way more things than I have,and that's my inspiration and I
want you to know.
You're one of the people.
Speaker 4 (01:37):
You're way too kind, but you are doing your thing
here in Knoxville, thank you.
Thank you, I'll set an example.
Speaker 3 (01:44):
Thank you, I really, when I met you, I didn't know
who you were, was and I was like, okay, so who is this person?
Because I saw you connect withdifferent people.
Every time I would see you, youwould always greet somebody
with a smile, you would alwaysgive them their moment to talk
to you, and I'm like I've got tofind out who this person is.
(02:04):
So, of course, google is alwaysgood.
Google is always good.
So I Googled you and I was like, oh, wow.
And so over the last, say, yearand a half, I have admired you
from afar and when I see you, wealways you would think we know
each other real well because wealways would greet each other
(02:25):
and we'd stop and talk for a fewminutes.
But I just want you to knowbefore we do this podcast is
that you inspire me, oh, thankyou so much In so many different
ways and let me say a fewthings that you inspire me in.
You inspire me in community,you inspire me as a leader and
you inspire me to go for yourdreams and goals, absolutely,
(02:48):
you know.
So let's get into.
Who is Tyvie Small?
Wow, I don't know how to followthat.
Speaker 4 (02:55):
You set the stage nicely.
Speaker 1 (02:57):
Thank you for your kind words.
Speaker 3 (02:59):
Yes.
Speaker 4 (02:59):
You know, as a man of faith and as someone who grew
up with a large, extended familywho thought that all those
things were important.
Leadership was important,community was important, giving
back was important.
So all of that.
Speaker 3 (03:15):
So let's go start where first.
Let's give respect.
Tommy is married to Tammy.
Tammy is yes, Tammy is hisbetter half, as I always call it
Better half.
Tell us a little bit.
Speaker 4 (03:30):
The better and the gooder, half the better and the
gooder.
So shout out to Tammy.
Speaker 3 (03:35):
Tell me who Tammy is.
Speaker 4 (03:37):
Tammy is a beautiful woman, a woman of deep faith, a
woman who is kind, who wascaring, who's thoughtful.
You know she rememberseverybody's birthday and it's
just, it's weird, you know, ifsomeone's birthday, she'll call
me, and hey, that's thosebirthdays today.
It's that's just birthday shekeeps you on your toes.
(03:57):
She keeps me on my toes, butthat's who she is.
We met here at the Universityof Tennessee.
We worked in the College ofBusiness together, and so that's
how we originally met.
Speaker 3 (04:07):
So so y'all started dating here?
Oh wow.
So for the people that don'tknow, you are from Florida yes,
pahokee Florida.
Pahokee, florida.
I let him say that, because meand Adrian literally was like
how are we gonna say where he'sfrom, because I don't even know
how to pronounce it.
So but tell, but tell theviewers who are you.
Take the titles off, takeeverything you've accomplished.
(04:29):
Who is the man?
Speaker 4 (04:31):
First and foremost, a man of faith, a man of deep
faith.
You know, of course, you know ahusband, a friend, a son, a
brother, all of that, but Ithink what starts it is is my
faith.
I grew up in Pahokee with asingle mom.
A mom passed away during COVIDand it was just my mom, my
(04:55):
sister and I.
My sister passed away in 2008in a car accident about a year
after I moved here, but we had alarge extended family.
So my maternal grandparents had10 kids, so I have 33 first
cousins.
Speaker 3 (05:09):
What.
Speaker 4 (05:10):
And so we grew up in Pahokee, most of us, so we had a
large, extended family.
Speaker 3 (05:14):
It probably helped you to deal with your sister's
death first, and then with yourmom yeah, to have that big
family Absolutely, because I'velost all of my immediate family.
I have a brother and a sister,like all the grandparents, the
parents, and so you have to leanwherever your tribe, your crew
is to get through that typething, and you have to have
(05:36):
faith.
I'm a woman of faith and I knowthat God trumps all and you
always have to have Him in thecenter of everything that you do
.
That's the biggest thing,because you can do nothing
without him Absolutely.
Speaker 4 (05:51):
And I know that all too well.
You know I don't too, BecauseI'm trying and it didn't work.
Speaker 3 (05:56):
I tell people all the time I'm like there was a time.
You know, in the Bible it saysdo all things in God's plan and
God's timing and that type thing.
And that's not the easiestthing to accept and do I said.
But I can say I'm 53 years oldand I can say I don't want
anything out of the will of God.
And I can't say that I'vealways been that way, because
(06:17):
you know, when you wantsomething you want it, but God
will show you why you need it inthe will of God and why you
don't want it.
Speaker 4 (06:24):
And sometimes he'll say not right now, Right, and so
I think sometimes he's teachingus patience.
He'll say you know, I'm notsaying you can't have it, but
not right now.
Speaker 3 (06:33):
And I think people take that not right now as a
failure.
Speaker 4 (06:38):
They take it as a no.
Speaker 3 (06:39):
As a no.
As a no, or I can't completethis, I'm a failure.
And as a no, or I can'tcomplete this, I'm a failure,
and I'm like no, it just may notbe your time.
God has time for everyone, andeven when you see other people
climbing and it may be the exactsame thing you want, if God
said, not right now, he's gotsomething greater for you.
Anyway, you know he's preparingyou for your greatness.
(07:04):
So I would say this how longhave you been here?
Speaker 4 (07:08):
So I've been in Knoxville for 17 years.
I started, if I got.
I think my first day was June17th of 2007.
Speaker 3 (07:18):
OK University of.
Speaker 4 (07:18):
Tennessee what brought you here the job.
So I was working in governmentand politics and had a great job
, but the boss who I was workingfor was running for reelection
and it's Florida and it'selection, so you never know.
So we knew she was going to getreelected, but was a little
unsure because the person shewas running against said if I
(07:39):
get elected I'm going to fireeverybody in the mayor's office.
And so a fraternity brothersent me the job announcement at
the university of Tennessee,cause I came here.
I've spent my first 13 years inthe business school and the
Haslam college of business, sothat's where I got started.
And fraternity brother sent methis job announcement and I
thought, uh, I'll just apply.
Um, I applied for the job, themayor got reelected, all was
(08:02):
great.
And then Tennessee called.
And you said Wait a minute whatI said I had never been to
Tennessee.
No, I had been to Tennesseeonly once.
Speaker 2 (08:12):
I'd never been to Knoxville.
I said you know what?
Speaker 4 (08:14):
I don't have a decision to make until I have a
decision to make.
Speaker 2 (08:17):
And so I came to the interview.
Speaker 4 (08:20):
I said you know, we did a phone interview with one
search committee member Wentwell, Then he called back again
and said, hey, we want to do aphone interview with the entire
search committee.
Did that phone interview withthe search committee and said,
oh, nothing will ever happen.
And then they called back and Iflew up an interview and I
thought, okay, nothing will everhappen.
And then I got the call.
Speaker 3 (08:39):
And you had to make a decision.
I had to make a decision.
Let me tell you what happened.
Speaker 4 (08:42):
This is a true story.
So, as we were driving downOcoa Highway from the airport I
airport, I was in the back of aminivan it was a cab but it was
a minivan and I saw that signthat said welcome to Knoxville,
knox.
County and I remember lookingat that sign and all of a sudden
stuff just went into slowmotion and it was like this
(09:02):
feeling just came over me and asa man of faith I knew it was
God that just gave me thisunmerited sense of calm and
peace.
And so when I came and did theinterview, I was competing
against two internal candidates,and the dean that hired me at
the time will tell you he had noidea.
He said I didn't even know whata Tommy Small was.
But he said I won everyinterview with the faculty, with
(09:26):
the staff, with students,alumni, every one of those.
Speaker 3 (09:29):
God is in the midst of it, and so.
Speaker 4 (09:32):
I said yes, and I met Tammy throughout that process,
and so I didn't realize I hadalready met my wife.
Speaker 3 (09:38):
Wow, because she was already here.
So you moved from Florida.
You came to an interview.
Let's go back just a little bit.
He is.
I will let you tell whatfraternity are you with.
Speaker 4 (09:48):
There is but one Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity
Incorporated.
Speaker 3 (09:51):
Shout out to them To the noobs.
So your fraternity brother toldyou about a job you interviewed
.
You came here to talk to himabout everything and you got off
an airplane and that feelinghit you and you got that call,
that.
You got the job.
(10:12):
Yeah, was you nervous?
Speaker 4 (10:16):
No, it was such a sense of peace.
I remember I got the call inStarbucks on Palm Beach Lakes
Boulevard in West Palm Beach.
Speaker 1 (10:21):
Oh, wow.
Speaker 4 (10:23):
Because I was living and working for the mayor of
West Palm at the time.
Speaker 2 (10:26):
So I remember getting that call.
Speaker 3 (10:27):
That was the divine plan for your life, and so you
never thought that you wouldfind, you'd get the job, and
that you'd find the moment ofyour dreams Right.
Speaker 4 (10:37):
My plan was to come to Knoxville, stay here two
years and go back to Florida.
Speaker 2 (10:41):
Really that was the plan, because all my family was
there, great weather, all ofthat.
Speaker 4 (10:51):
But I was involved with the Urban League Young
Professionals in West Palm Beachand so when I got here, phyllis
Nichols, who was the CEO of theUrban League at the time,
connected with me.
He had connected us via emailand so when I got here I
connected with her and she juststarted plugging me in.
They often talk about havingmentors and having sponsors, and
Phyllis was a sponsor.
Not only did she say, hey, tybee, this is the door you need to
(11:13):
walk in, this is the thing youneed to get involved with, but
she grabbed my hand and broughtme into the room with her.
Speaker 3 (11:19):
That's amazing.
Speaker 4 (11:20):
Knoxville became home because I got connected to the
community really, really quicklyand I knew that this was a
special place.
People often talk aboutKnoxville not embracing
outsiders, but I will tell you,knoxville loved on me like never
before, and I'll love it rightback.
Speaker 3 (11:38):
I'm from Harriman, tennessee I don't know if you
know that and that's like 30, 45minutes from Knoxville, and I
can say that from my experienceKnoxville has always loved on me
.
You know, can I sit there andsay that every door that I
thought needed to open opened?
No, but over time I realized itwasn't meant to open and it
(11:58):
wasn't that Knoxville didn'topen it, it was not God's plan
to open.
You know he had other doors hewanted me to walk through, and
so I look at it that way.
But what is the most?
What would you say?
Back then, 17 years ago, whatwas the one thing that stuck out
to you about Knoxville thatsaid outside the university?
(12:19):
That just was like this isgoing to be my home for a while.
Speaker 4 (12:22):
The people.
So I got involved withKnoxville Area Urban League
Young Professionals and therewere so many of us who were new
to the area, new to many of themworked at UT, new to the
community, and we built thisreally strong bond of friendship
.
Right, they became my family,my tribe.
I didn't have any family hereat the time right, so they
(12:43):
became my tribe and so theyembraced me.
And then folks that I work withyou know Willie and Frida
Johnson, who are here and havebeen here for a while Frida
adopted me and so, you know, Ibecame her godson and my mom and
her became really good friendsand so when my mom would come up
from Florida she would spendmore time with Frida than me.
Speaker 1 (13:03):
Because they became family.
Speaker 4 (13:05):
And so I created these fictive kinships right
Through people in the community,through Urban League.
People just kind of wrappedtheir arms around me and said,
hey, you know you're home andyou belong and we're going to
get you connected.
So let me talk aboutserendipity.
So of those 10 kids that mygrandparents had my maternal
(13:25):
grandparents had one of themwent to college my Aunt Janice
that my maternal grandparentshad.
One of them went to college, myAunt Janice, and she went to
Knoxville College and graduatedin 1979.
Really, so I had always heardabout Knoxville College and she
would come home, come inreunions and all of that stuff,
and she never had any biologicalkids but she was a teacher, she
(13:45):
taught school for 35, almost 40years but her nieces and
nephews were her kids.
And so I'm here today becausemy Aunt Janice really kind of
exposed me to life.
Right, I remember, you know,again, she didn't have any
biological kids, but I rememberwe would go places in there.
She took me to my first NFLgame.
(14:06):
Really, you know, we used to goto this place called Okeechobee
Steakhouse and I could barelysee over the table and she would
take, you know, just wanting toexpose me to the finer things
in life, and I don't think shewould have been able to do that
without her education at KC.
I believe that so full circle.
I remember telling her when I,when I took the job here, I just
thought it was so, so neat thatyou know she was also a special
(14:29):
part of my life to see now mygrandfather my grandfather was
an educator.
Speaker 3 (14:34):
Uh, he was the very first black principal in hermit
okay, hermit city schools and hewas there for 45 years.
He did 60 years in the countyand 45 years um for hermit and
he went to knoxville college andall his brothers went to
Knoxville College.
So I got exposed at a veryyoung age about Knoxville
(14:54):
College before I came toKnoxville, and so it's a very
unique you know experiencebecause you know you're around
more of your culture but therewas things that you needed
nurturing that you could bringto everybody.
But you had to know yourculture to me and so I remember
my grandfather and his brothersalways donated to Knoxville
(15:17):
College and we would always.
They would have a program andthey would bring back alumni,
the older alumni, to honor themand my grandfather would always
take us and he would line us upin that auditorium and he lied
and everything and he exposed meto that to show me you know
what.
Here's some rooms you need to bein, but when you get in those
(15:39):
rooms sometimes you need tolisten and sometimes you need to
speak up and speak out but besubstance for a room and and
that was the biggest thing,because I would see him and his
brothers be that substance.
They would get up, get up andspeak and talk.
And I'm like now, most of it Icouldn't understand because I
(16:02):
was so young, but he exposed meto coming in a room and sitting
and listen to other people talk,and then he showed me when
there was time, it was time forme to speak, and so I learned
that at Knoxville College.
Absolutely, so you probablylearned the same thing.
I learned that from my agenda.
You know what I'm saying.
Just observing, let me ask youthis what would be one thing
(16:27):
that you would say if I couldpick one thing out of Florida
that I could bring to Tennessee?
Okay, yeah, what would it be?
It could be professional orpersonal.
Speaker 4 (16:41):
So you know, because it's relatively cold, I'm always
cold.
You know, anything below 70degrees is cold to me.
I would bring the Floridaweather up here.
I would bring the weather.
Come on now.
You can dress better in thewinter Summer is so hot, Would I
(17:01):
tell people.
Florida has two seasons summerand hurricane.
Speaker 3 (17:04):
Well, that's kind of true.
Yes, Now my in-laws all live inMount Dora, outside of Orlando.
Speaker 4 (17:10):
Oh, my goodness, goodness, I spent a whole lot of
time in mount dora.
Yes, so late county and you?
Speaker 3 (17:14):
know it's perfect weather.
It's just like if they get inthe 60s, they're thinking
they're in the 30s.
But yes, um.
So all of david's family moveddown there, and so we were there
a month ago and that weatherwas gorgeous, gorgeous.
But, I like winter.
Speaker 4 (17:30):
No, I don't like that .
Speaker 3 (17:32):
Now the last few weeks when it got really, really
cold.
I don't like that kind of cold.
I like that 30, 40.
Small world.
Speaker 4 (17:41):
So when I went to the University of South Florida for
both my undergrad and mymaster's, and when I graduated I
worked in admissions at theuniversity.
So I did recruitment, and soLake and Sumter County were my
counties, and so Tavares,umatilla, mount Dora, all of
that stuff.
Speaker 3 (17:57):
I spent a whole lot of time there.
That is a small world, so ifyou could pick, I know there's a
lot of things about Universityof Tennessee that we both love.
Ok, and let me give a shout outto University of Tennessee that
we both love.
Okay, and let me give a shoutout to University of Tennessee.
I know when I brought mycompany here Turner Knox rental
(18:19):
y'all welcome me.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I've tried tohelp me.
You have.
You have literally said okay,you've all could call this
person.
You've introduced me to peoplelike okay, I remember at your
event at the brunch.
You were like okay, ashley, thisis your vocal latest and that
embracing is priceless.
So I want to thank you and theUniversity of Tennessee for
(18:41):
welcoming me.
I didn't go to University ofTennessee, but my husband did
and my father-in-law.
I don't know if you know this.
My father-in-law taught inengineering for 30 years.
Did not know that For 30 years.
He retired about seven yearsago and so to bring back a
business to your team, youruniversity that you love, that
(19:06):
is huge to me.
Speaker 4 (19:07):
I will say this about your work the reason why I
think you're successful here isbecause everything you do, you
do it with excellence.
Thank you.
Sometimes that's all you needto do.
Everything that you do, you doit with excellence.
Thank you, that's why you keepgetting the phone calls back
because you do.
What you say you're going to do,I do.
When you say I'm going to showup, you show up.
(19:29):
Thank you do I do.
When you say I'm going to showup, you show up.
And you go above and beyondevery time.
Speaker 3 (19:32):
Thank you.
Speaker 4 (19:33):
Even the event that we had a couple of weeks ago you
were like this is my stuff.
And I'm like you know what.
You did a phenomenal job, and Ithink that's why people respect
you, and respect the work thatyou do.
Speaker 3 (19:45):
And what I teach my kids is I'm like.
You know what?
If you say you're going to dosomething, do it.
If you.
If you find a time that youcan't do it, then you pick up
the phone and you need to callthe person, talk to them
directly and say, hey, Ipromised you this, but this is
the situation.
I said communication is key andI said and when you walk in the
door, you should walk inexcellence, they should see the
(20:08):
best version of you.
But if you don't show that, youknow people are not supposed to
give you an opportunity justbecause they're supposed to give
to you.
No, you need to earn thatopportunity.
And so I teach my whole familythat.
And it's like when we're doingan event, I don't care about all
the other events I have.
I look at each event as thisevent.
(20:28):
How can we make this the bestevent?
Even in our real estatebusiness, we do the same thing.
I don't talk about my clientsto other clients because I'm
like they don't care about allof that.
They care about what are yougoing to do for them.
And so that's what I teach andI try.
I tell people I'm like, evenwith your walk with God.
I'm like you can talk all day,but your walk should speak.
(20:51):
You don't have to walk aroundand say I'm a Christian, I'm a
Christian.
Your walk should.
People should know that personright there has faith.
That person right there followsGod in your walk.
So I thank you for saying thatto me and for me, because you
always want somebody to be yourvoice.
You know what I'm saying, so Ithank you for that.
Speaker 4 (21:13):
That's what I try to teach our students In this work.
I say a couple things.
Number one is education is agreat equalizer, and so when we
talk about, people say, well,what is access and engagement?
Really it's about access toopportunity, and so we want to
give all Tennesseans, as a landgrant and a flagship institution
(21:33):
, we want to give all allTennesseans access to
opportunity, right?
Yes, because we do know thateducation is a great equalizer.
Speaker 3 (21:41):
It is.
Speaker 4 (21:42):
And so how do we get students here, get them in
opportunities where they can besuccessful, where they can
thrive Right?
Well, they can realize theirgoals and dreams, whatever that
might be.
But what I talk to them aboutis this idea of excellence is
the standard right, when you'rein class, when you're outside of
class, if you're going to beinvolved in organizations, do it
(22:02):
all with excellence.
Speaker 3 (22:04):
I tell I do a Facebook live and I tell people
I said I wasn't raised to bebasic, I was raised to do
excellence.
And some people say, well, whatdo you mean?
You know?
Basically, I said, if you'rejust giving the bare minimums,
how can you grow?
(22:24):
I mean just common sense totell you you can't grow just
doing the basics.
You have to go over and abovefor whatever you're doing, so
that you can show that nobodyelse can give that kind of
service, no matter what you'redoing.
Speaker 4 (22:42):
And you be the best that you can be right.
Sometimes people get this ideathat they have to compete or
compare.
Right, you don't need tocompete or compare.
You just need to be the bestyou that you can be right.
Bring your very best towhatever situation it is, and
people will respect it andthey'll honor it.
Speaker 3 (23:00):
This is my thing.
Even with our company, I said Idon't want to be known as a
product company.
I want to be known as a servicecompany that brings great
products, because service nevergoes out of style.
Products they can go in and outeverything else.
And I said it's all about theservice.
And if you think about evendown to your students, you have
(23:22):
to show them you know what goodservice is, because they'll take
it to the community and they'llserve and they'll be a good
servant.
But if you go on, just okay,well, you got a degree and
that's it.
And no, you got a degree andhow are you going to apply it?
How are you going to apply itto your life and other people's
life?
Do you agree with that?
Speaker 4 (23:44):
I agree, we have this thing called.
It's called TRAIL.
It's now expanded.
It used to be called theTennessee Rwanda Leadership
Experience, where we would takea group of students and student
athletes and we would go toRwanda.
Speaker 1 (23:58):
And now we're going to Rwanda and South Africa.
Speaker 4 (23:59):
And we've expanded a part of it to Japan, and it's
centered around these four,these four pillars leadership,
service, culture and communityRight, and it's talking.
We talk about this idea of yougoing to be global leaders,
global scholars right, and wetalk about this idea of you're
going to be global leaders,global scholars, global citizens
right, the people that weregraduating from the university
today.
They're the future businessleaders future politicians,
(24:22):
government leaders, educatorsright, they're going to be
running this country and we wantthem to really think about this
idea of how do you lead, butalso how do you serve.
Speaker 2 (24:32):
How do you?
Speaker 1 (24:32):
make communities better.
Speaker 3 (24:36):
What do you have to give to your community?
Speaker 4 (24:38):
And whatever communities you go into when you
lead, is it going to be abetter place because you were
there?
Speaker 3 (24:44):
It should be.
Yes, this is my way of thinking.
There's two types of peoplethere's givers and there's
takers.
And my grandfather said to mewhen I was a kid at the time I
didn't get it, but I do now hesaid what will your legacy be?
What will it be?
He said, when you die?
What will they remember you as?
And I don't want people toremember me as, oh, she was a
(25:08):
great realtor.
No, I want them to rememberthat I made a difference, that I
did for community.
I came outside of myself and Imade other people win.
You know that type thing.
But it takes you putting timein yourself and bettering
yourself and then go out andoffer yourself to your community
(25:31):
and, like you said, when youleave, whatever you leave, is it
better, Right, or did you take?
I don't want to be a taker, youknow, because God never told us
to be takers.
He said be givers and give witha kind heart.
You know that type of thing.
What is the biggest thing thatyou could say that you love
(25:52):
about University of Tennessee?
Speaker 4 (25:54):
I love the people and I love the opportunity.
All right, the people, becauseyou know I, absolutely I do this
for for the students, right, Ido this because we just had
graduation and when I tell you,it fills my cup every time
because there are students,there are parents that are
seeking me out.
(26:15):
You know, grandmas that say baby, just let me hug your neck
because of the role that youplayed in my grandson's and my
granddaughter's life.
Right, how you mentored them,how you've given them
opportunity, how you help, lethelp them see something bigger
than themselves, how you helpthem see something bigger than
themselves.
Speaker 3 (26:31):
And that's what I love.
And they've talked about you,they've went home and told the
mark you're making on their lifeand that's why those
grandmothers and mothers anddifferent family members that
are saying, hey, I just want tohug you because I just want you
to know what you've done in mychild's life Absolutely, because
I think a lot of times peoplelook at the young people and
they look at where they're atright now.
(26:52):
But we all was there at onetime.
Speaker 4 (26:55):
Listen, we give this generation such a hard time.
We do I absolutely love thisgeneration.
They are smart and witty andresourceful and they care about
what they care about.
Speaker 3 (27:07):
And once our generation we were taught okay,
a lot of it was about speakingand watching.
One thing I can give thisgeneration if they don't like
something, they're going to tellyou.
Speaker 4 (27:22):
They're going to tell you.
Speaker 2 (27:23):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (27:24):
And is that a bad thing?
It is.
It's really not, if you thinkabout it, because you can change
something if you know, andthat's one thing I picked from
this generation I'm like they'lltell you what they like and
what they don't like, and theydon't worry about if they're
going to ruffle feathers, rightright, and that's what I like
about this generation.
Speaker 4 (27:45):
Right, that's exactly .
You know, people often say,well, they're the leaders of
tomorrow, and I said thatearlier.
But they're the leaders oftomorrow, and I said that
earlier, but really they're theleaders of today.
Speaker 3 (27:53):
They are the leaders of now.
They really are.
Speaker 4 (27:54):
They are making impact and making differences in
their communities right now.
Speaker 3 (27:57):
And they've got so many opportunities that they can
make that big impact Absolutely, and so let's stay away from
downing them, let's lift them.
I tell people that all the time.
You've got to lift them up andunderstand that we all had to
find our way.
And you see us now and you knowwe can get suited and booted
(28:22):
and look like we have it alltogether, but there's a lot of
people in their 50s that hadn'tfound their way, you know.
So how do you think a20-year-old is going to know?
You know everything.
So I'm like come on, give thema chance and let them mentorship
(28:42):
, sponsorship yes, if you reallywant this generation to be
better, instead of doubting them, say you know what, pick a
child and say you know what.
I want to mentor you and I wantto meet with you at least once a
month.
You know, because I know lifeis busy, but mentorship is
awesome.
I mentor some people and I wantthem to do the greatest and I
(29:05):
tell them only thing I'm doingis giving you advice.
I'm telling you you know, hey,sharing my journey, but you're
the one that's doing work, andso when you go up, you don't
have to give me credit for it,because it was what you did.
It wasn't what I did.
You did the work, you see.
Speaker 4 (29:23):
So let me ask you this that's what I love, the
work that I do in the community,particularly with the Urban
League.
So I was chair of the NationalAchiever Society for almost 10
years and I followed DeanRosalind Tillman and I tell you
I absolutely loved those youngpeople.
We would induct between 100 and120, 130 young people each year
(29:46):
.
They were high schoolsophomores, juniors and seniors.
And when I tell you, Iabsolutely love that work
because I got to see the nextgeneration in action.
They are smart and they arehungry and they want it better
and they just needed a littlebit of guidance and that's what
we tried to give them.
And now I see I've seen thosescholars over 10 years now.
(30:06):
Many have gone to college, manyof them graduated, they're
doing well in their industry, intheir field of study, and
they're giving back to the nextgeneration and I'm like, yes,
that's what we wanted to do.
Speaker 3 (30:19):
They did it and I knew they were going to do it.
They just needed time.
Speaker 4 (30:23):
That's what I love.
That's what fills my cup.
Speaker 3 (30:27):
I agree, especially when you see a kid, that it's
like they may have had obstacles, they may have had family
problems, they may have you knowall different things and you
see them succeed.
You're like, yes, they wentabove and beyond.
You don't know their story, youdon't and don't judge people on
(30:48):
their story and your storydoesn't define you.
It's just a story, it's achapter right, think about those
.
Speaker 4 (30:55):
It's a chapter, right , and you know, think about
those.
It's a chapter in the book,right, right.
If you just stop at chapter one, you don't get to see the
beauty in chapter 10.
That's a good point, you onlystop at that first chapter,
right?
And so all of our lives arechapters, right?
Speaker 3 (31:08):
You know where I am here today where I was yesterday
, that is Today where I wasyesterday and it won't be where
I'll be tomorrow, right?
He said every one of us.
I'm going to say it again.
I'm going to let him say itagain because this is really
good Everybody's a chapter Goahead.
Speaker 4 (31:21):
Every one of our stories are made up of chapters,
right, and each chapter createsthe whole book, right?
And so if you stop at chapter,if the book is 10 chapters and
you stop at chapter 6, right,you don't get to see the beauty
that happens in chapter 7, 8, 9,and 10.
And you don't get to see thecompletion at all.
You don't get to see thecompletion.
I think that's what sometimeswe do with our young people, and
(31:43):
sometimes we do that with eachother, yeah that's true.
Our stories are not done beingwritten.
Speaker 3 (31:49):
And we have to realize that everybody has a bad
day and we have good days.
And if we really care aboutpeople, you have to realize, on
those bad days, that's when youreally should be rah, rah, rah.
Speaker 4 (32:07):
Do you agree?
You know, what I often say isthat you shouldn't judge people
by their worst day ever, becausethey do all the good things
that people do and we forgetabout, and they do one bad thing
or they mess up, and that'swhat we remember and that's what
we judge them on.
And hold them on and hold themon right.
(32:27):
What about all the other greatthings they do?
I don't want to ever judgesomebody by their worst day.
God, really, he said othergreat things they do.
Speaker 3 (32:33):
I don't want to ever judge somebody by their worst
day.
Think about God, god, really.
He said you've got all yoursins.
I'm going to wipe all that away.
He didn't say you had one sin.
He said we're all sinners.
So I'm like, okay, yeah.
So let me ask you this how isUT culturally different from
other universities that you havebeen affiliated with?
Speaker 4 (32:56):
You know it's interesting.
So there's something about thisvolunteer spirit that people
talk about that I didn'tunderstand and couldn't explain
when I first started.
But there is a level of support, a level of trial and error
that we give to everybody who'sa part of this family.
(33:19):
Right, and so when we thinkabout my work, we center it in
four buckets it's access,belonging, a culture of respect
and community.
Right, and so when you thinkabout those four pillars, that's
what makes the University ofTennessee different.
Right, because sometimes I'llwork with either recruiting-
(33:41):
students who are non-athletes orstudents who are athletes,
right, and I often have gone onto college tours or been a part
of other college tours and ifyou close your eyes, it says the
same thing.
They're all the same thing.
Close your eyes and fill in theblank random university.
Speaker 3 (33:54):
Yes, right.
Speaker 4 (33:55):
So what makes us different, I think, are the
people.
It's the way that we giveopportunities, it's the way that
we give grace, it's the waythat we create cultures of
respect, it's the way that webuild community.
Yes, I agree, that's what makesus different, and we speak.
Speaker 3 (34:15):
It's the different and we speak.
I think the biggest thing abouteast tennessee, I would say and
you can agree or disagree is weall, no matter if we know each
other or not.
You can go in a grocery store,see somebody and we're going to
speak.
That's to me.
Think of our name, volunteervolunteers.
Think of the name you know, youstep forward and you volunteer.
And when someone think aboutone of the players, let's say
(34:39):
because we're about to go toOhio State and we wish everybody
great, but we're going to winAnyway.
But we're all gathered togetherand say if one of the players
had a situation at home,everybody rallies in the
volunteer state.
This community comes togetherand rallies for those students,
(35:04):
for those athletes.
They rally.
Speaker 4 (35:06):
I saw it.
We lost a student recently andone of our faculty members who
was the advisor for theorganization that this person
was a part of.
And you know we were talkingthe other day and that's one of
the things I told him.
I said I respect about you somuch.
When that happened you justwent into motion.
Speaker 3 (35:24):
Right, yes.
Speaker 4 (35:24):
We wrapped our arms around those kids, we wrapped
our arms around thatorganization and we just loved
on.
Yes, it wasn't.
It wasn't about anything otherthan making sure that they were
okay and that they had what theyneeded to do to get through
that situation Time and timeagain.
That's what I found at UT, andI think that's why I've stayed
(35:45):
right, because we all haveoptions, right, correct?
I didn't have to stay here.
I didn't have to be here.
You were only supposed to behere two years Right, which your
plan was right.
It was the people who I met inthe community.
It was the people like fridawho were on campus.
Speaker 1 (36:02):
Who wrapped?
Speaker 4 (36:02):
their arms around me.
I was like you, my godson now,and so when I was here for
holidays would call and say, hey, come over to the house and get
a plate right it was all ofthose kinds of things that made
me feel they just loved on meand that was and made you feel
that loved on you.
Speaker 3 (36:12):
It just loved on me, and that was on campus and made
you feel family and off campus.
Speaker 4 (36:14):
And that's what we try to do with our students
Regardless of your background,your ethnicity, your experiences
, regardless of all of that, wewant to make sure that you feel
like you matter and that youbelong, and that's what I think
makes us different than a lot ofuniversities that I've been a
part of or have interacted with.
Speaker 3 (36:37):
Well, I'll tell you something that I just applaud
you for.
We did an event this spring andthe event was to help distress
the students before finals.
Help distress the studentsbefore finals.
So y'all did an event and I andI never forget asking what is
(36:58):
this event for, you know, andthey're like, we want to take
the stress off of our students,for them to have a day before
their finals that they can just,you know, be them, you know, be
around their peers, their peersand just love on each other.
I saw so many of the facultycame out, loved on those
(37:21):
students, shook their hands,talked to them, asked them how
their family members were.
That just stuck out to me.
I've never seen that and I'vevisited other campuses, other
universities.
That stuck out to me becauseI'm like you're trying to take
stress off of students beforetheir finals to make sure that
(37:42):
when they walk in there they'reprepared and they are.
Speaker 4 (37:46):
they are less stressed than they were two days
ago you know, yes, and I thinkone of the things that you know
we've done and you talk to AmberWilliams, I know is that we are
a strength based campus, nowRight, and we don't look at our
students from a deficit mindset.
We look at them and not say whatyou can't do, but what you can
(38:07):
do Right, and we try to instillthat in our students.
Everything that we do,everywhere that we go, is like
you can, you can Right, and youdon't, you don't teach no, feel
that in our students.
Speaker 3 (38:14):
Everything that we do , everywhere that we go, is like
you can, you can right, and youdon't.
You don't teach, no, yeah, okay, you teach you can you know.
Do we get no's in life?
Yes, but, but you don't teachit.
You teach, you can do, and, andlong as you apply it.
And my favorite scripture isfaith without works is dead, and
it it's.
(38:34):
It sums up if you think abouteverything in your life, right,
you got to have faith in God andyou got to do the work, because
it doesn't matter you know whatchecks your parents, right, it
doesn't matter who you know.
If you don't show up and go toclass and you don't apply
yourself, there's where the workis.
If you don't apply yourself,then you can't climb, okay, and
(38:58):
so so I use that scripture a lotbecause I'm like it sums up
everything.
We have to work it, even in ourcommunity, when we go out in
the community, because I knowyou do a lot in your community
and I want to talk about thosethings later on.
But you know, if you didn't godown this path, what would my
job was to be Johnny Cochran.
(39:19):
That would have been a good one.
Yes, you want me to tell youwhy he was amazing he was the
first black lawyer I ever saw,and a real Like.
Speaker 4 (39:27):
you see him played on TV.
That's the truth People oftentalk about.
You can't be what you can't see, but that was true for me.
I'm from Pahokee man.
I ain't no lawyer that looklike me.
You hear what?
Speaker 3 (39:35):
he's saying A lot of people until that trial never
saw a black attorney.
And Johnny Cochran really didopen eyes for all cultures to
say well what?
And I just remember.
And he came on the scene gunsblazing.
Speaker 4 (39:56):
And you know what did it for me?
Right, what If the glove don'tfit?
You must have quit.
Right, that did it for me.
And so I wanted to be JohnnyCockman.
Speaker 3 (40:04):
So my you know when I got involved with SGA.
Speaker 4 (40:06):
I do remember.
Speaker 3 (40:08):
Do you remember?
I tell Adrian this I was inhigh school.
Yes, I told Adrian.
I said Adrian that day,regardless if you believe,
whatever the child part of it,that day will go down in history
as it truly tore off theBand-Aid to everything between
(40:29):
all races, all races.
It truly, because when hestarted putting his hand in that
glove, it truly showed a lot ofpeople you know well.
For one, it showed that JohnnyCochran was a genius at that,
okay.
Speaker 4 (40:48):
But it just that's what I saw.
Like you know, regardless ofwhat.
Speaker 3 (40:50):
It made everybody.
Speaker 4 (40:52):
I wasn't.
I was watching Johnny CochranMe too, Because I was mesmerized
about how your family membershave it on every day, like
through that school in socialstudies.
I started school David was in.
Speaker 3 (41:05):
I think he said hyper .
Yes, he said when, when theyread the verdict because
everybody talks about where wasyou at that day, because it was
big, especially in the blackcommunity it was just like we
had to know.
We had to know what was goingto happen and we followed that
(41:26):
case.
I don't know another case thatwe can honestly say there aren't
other cases we follow, that wecan honestly say there are other
cases we follow.
But that just really made ussee a black man in a leadership
role, just stand out amongsteverybody.
Speaker 4 (41:43):
Because he did.
He was a great lawyer not agreat black lawyer.
Right, he was a great lawyer,and so that's what stood out to
me, and so that's why I wasgoing to be a lawyer.
Speaker 3 (41:55):
Thank you for saying that, because I tell people
sometimes people will make thatstatement that they're whoever's
great.
Oh, they're a great blacklawyer.
No, they're just a great lawyer.
Don't try to downsize it thattype of thing.
So thank you for saying thatabout him and and showing what
(42:16):
he did in your life.
Think about it at a very youngage, so that's what that's what
so?
Speaker 4 (42:21):
So higher ed was never the goal I didn't even
know higher ed was a professionyes, right.
And then when I got that job inadmissions and saw the lives
that could be impacted andchanged Right People who didn't
have access but knew that ifthey got opportunity that they
would be successful.
Because I was one of those kids, I came to USF through the TRIO
(42:42):
program right, federally fundedgrant program for you know
first gen, you know low incomestudents, and I was in student
support services and I know whatit meant for me, right, for
somebody to say you know, knowwhat, you may not have all this
right, but we see potentialright.
And that's what I wanted to dofor the next generation.
And so when I took the job, Iit felt that it didn't feel like
(43:06):
work, it felt natural because Iwas going into communities um
but urban rural, suburban rightcommunities.
when I talk about historicallyunderserved communities, when I
talk about under-resourcedcommunities, everybody's in
those communities, you knowpeople of color and not.
And I found myself going intocommunities and talking about
(43:27):
education and providing accessand realizing that, wow, if I
didn't get paid to do this, Iwould still do it because I was
loving it.
Speaker 3 (43:36):
Yes, it would feed my soul.
So what do you want to talkabout when it comes to what's
going on now in the world?
Speaker 4 (43:48):
You know, education is important and I really want
people to understand this ideawhen we talk about higher ed.
I work at the University ofTennessee, so of course I want
folks to think about coming tothe University of Tennessee, but
really, whatever that means foryou, I think sometimes we don't
understand the importance ofsome of our technical programs
about and then, you know, oftentalk about multiple chances,
multiple choices right.
(44:08):
Right when, if Tennessee, is itfor you there?
You know I talked about my auntgoing to KC right, which is
HBCU right, correct, and for herthat was the right place for
her.
I often ask her, you know, Iwould say, auntie, how did you
(44:29):
end up at Knoxville College?
You know I would say, auntie,how did you end up at Knoxville
College?
You know all the places, I'mlike, you got FAMU down the road
, you got Padun Cookmen, you gotElmwood Waters in Florida, all
those.
And she said because that wasthe place where I felt home,
(44:50):
where I felt like I could bringmy authentic self and I could be
pushed and supported in a waythat I needed.
And so, as I think about thisidea, sometimes people talk
about well, you know, PWI versusHBCU, that's an individual
decision.
I agree.
Speaker 3 (44:58):
And it doesn't mean one is better than the other.
It's where you fit that you cangrow.
Speaker 4 (45:05):
Yeah, it's all about growth and it's all about where
you feel you can bring yourauthentic self right and then
you can be successful.
And so sometimes it's at HBCUs,sometimes it may be at a place
like Tennessee, sometimes it maybe at a place like Pellissippi
or a community college, or itcould be a TCAT Right, one of
the colleges of appliedtechnology.
Speaker 3 (45:23):
I think that people don't realize that it's.
It's you talked about notcomparing.
Speaker 2 (45:30):
Right.
Speaker 3 (45:31):
OK, this is a good example for it.
You shouldn't compare theschools.
It's just what you feel, thatwhere you can grow.
And even though your mother oryour father went to HBCU, that
doesn't mean that's your path.
Speaker 4 (45:48):
Or vice versa.
They may have gone to PWI, butif HBCU is where you want to be
because you know, think aboutwhen we couldn't go to other
places.
You know, I still probablyweekly talk to Theotis Robinson
right, who was along withCharles.
Edgar Blair and Willa MaeGillespie were the first three
African-American studentsadmitted into UT at the
(46:10):
undergraduate level.
Speaker 3 (46:11):
I got to meet one of them at your brunch and that let
me just say that made my day atthe undergraduate level.
Speaker 4 (46:13):
I got to meet one of them at your brunch, dr Robinson
.
Speaker 3 (46:14):
Yeah, Let me just say that made my day and just to
hear him talk and talk about hisjourney and talk about the
things that he has helpedimplement, and it was just a
great conversation y'all had.
That was phenomenal.
Speaker 4 (46:31):
Thank you so much it really was, and he's a mentor
and a sponsor to me yeah and heoften talks about his journey at
the University of Tennessee.
But everybody's journey isdifferent and I think we have to
look at this as anindividualized journey and not a
collective journey, becausewhat may work for you may not
(46:53):
work for me, may not work foryour daughter, may not work for
your son, may not work for mywife, right?
So it all depends on who we areas individuals and what journey
we want to take in life.
Speaker 3 (47:03):
I agree.
I think a lot of the wordcollective.
You know, it got real popularabout two years ago, two or
three years ago and I said buteverything is not supposed to be
collective, okay, and I thinkpeople get caught up into that
because your growth isindividual, your individual
growth, do you agree?
Speaker 4 (47:24):
Your individual growth, your individual
decisions, because guess what?
At the end of your life,whatever you believe, when you
stand in front of whoever yourmaker is, it ain't going to have
a crowd of everybody with you.
It's going to be you and youhave to account for your dash.
Speaker 3 (47:42):
I teach my kids that I'm like when I stand up there,
my husband won't be standingbeside me, and when he asks
what's my works, he's talkingabout my works.
He's not talking about yourworks.
He's not talking about yourworks, he's not talking about
your dad's works.
So you have to realize, is thepath that you go down, the
legacy that you build, you haveto realize that there will be a
(48:04):
day of judgment and are yougoing to be able to say you know
, I've done, I did all I coulddo to make a difference and what
I had.
And so that's where thecollective I do understand some
people can do that, but somepeople need individual identity.
(48:24):
Right, you know, and peopletalk about your dash, right?
Speaker 1 (48:28):
Yes.
Speaker 4 (48:28):
On your tombstone right.
You got your birth date and yougot your death date and there's
a dash right, and really themeaningful part is the dash,
because that's what's happenedbetween the time that you were
born and the time that you died.
And how are you going to makethat meaningful?
And that's why I think I do thework that I do and hire it,
that's why I do the work that Ido in the community, that's why
(48:48):
I try to give back so much.
It's because it's important.
But somebody did it for me,right?
People?
Speaker 3 (48:57):
did that for me and I want to pay it for.
Yeah, and that's what you'resupposed to do.
You know, I'll tell you viewersoff camera.
I was telling Sharon with himand a lot of y'all already know
about David's walk with hisillness, and Tybee didn't know
that, and Sharonaron, and thefirst thing was, oh wow, how
(49:17):
good god is and how he restoredhim.
You know, um, I'm so glad thatgod gave us a second chance so
it wouldn't be a dash.
Yet you see what I'm saying,because we're gonna go somewhere
, somewhere, one day but whatare you doing to make a
difference in your life andwhere are you?
Are you coming outside of youand just your family?
(49:40):
Because you can't just do foryou and your family, it has to
be your community.
Speaker 4 (49:49):
What people have to understand is it doesn't have to
be something so grand.
Speaker 2 (49:53):
It doesn't.
People often think, well, Ican't have to be something so
grand it doesn't Right.
Speaker 4 (49:55):
You know, people often think well, I can't do
what such and such does, or Ican't do what they do, and
nobody's called you to beanybody but you, and you bloom
where you were planted, you do.
Speaker 3 (50:07):
You do, and there's some people that are supposed to
be on the front line and thenthere's some people that is on
the back line, but it doesn'tmean that one's better than the
other, because we all worktogether for the good and it may
shift and it may shift.
Speaker 4 (50:21):
One day you may be at the front of the line you know,
and leading the next day, youmay be in the back of the line
listening there you go listening.
Yes, you have to listen and soI do think that I would
encourage listeners to just makean impact, whatever, how big or
small you think it might be.
Make an impact.
Speaker 3 (50:40):
Yeah, and you have to realize is making a difference.
If you make a difference insomeone's life, that's not in
vain, that's you made adifference.
Ok, if somebody else goes overand does a great event and it
covers a group of people, that'sgreat.
But that doesn't minimize whatanother person did for one
(51:02):
individual.
Speaker 4 (51:13):
One individual.
When you look back at your timehere of Knoxville and I don't
know what success looks like,but I know that I just wanted to
make an impact and the workthat we did there and the
changes that we made there.
We now have the new broadbandnow and we have a process to
(51:37):
provide access to low-incomecommunities right, low-income
families, you know, through theschool system.
When I think about the hundredsand hundreds of kids who come
through NAS over my years thereand the impact that we've made
with those young people there,and the impact that we've made
with those young people, when Ithink about the work that I did
(51:58):
with Big Brothers, big Sistersand my littles and then serving
on that board, when I look backat all of those kinds of things,
I just want people to say thatI made a difference and made an
impact with what I had and whatI was given.
And then the last thing I'llsay is my faith is super
important and so you know, I'm amember of Overcome, a
(52:19):
Believer's Church, obc, withPastor Darrell Arnold and he's
amazing.
And through our church.
One of the things that we talkabout is we are the community's
church, our physical building isthe community's building, and
that we just want to make surethat we position ourselves so
that we can impact ourcommunities and change lives.
Because, really, if it boileddown to two things, I would say
(52:42):
impacting communities andchanging lives.
Speaker 3 (52:45):
You know one of the big thing and shout out to
Pastor Arnold, because I knowhe's from Chattanooga, because I
know he's from Chattanooga andI remember when he moved here
and what God did in him and thegrowth he did in seven years.
I mean it was impeccable, stillimpeccable and he still keeps
(53:05):
going, you know, and giving somany young people opportunity
and just giving back, loving onthe community.
So shout out to Pastor Arnold.
So to wrap this up, if you hadto pitch right now University of
Tennessee and why someoneshould go to University of
(53:29):
Tennessee, what would be yoursales pitch?
Speaker 4 (53:31):
What would be your sales pitch?
I would say it's a place thatprovides access, that you're
going to feel like you matterand you belong, that you're
going to be in a place that hasa culture of respect and that
you can build community.
And I would say that you willalso find that in Knoxville,
because you can't separate thetwo.
There will be people who wantyou to succeed.
(53:53):
There will be people who willbe in your corner, who will be
your champions for anything thatyou want to do.
That will help you get towardssuccess, because when you look
at universities across thecountry I said this earlier
they're all the same.
When you close your eyes, whatmakes a difference is the people
, and I think the people here atthe University of Tennessee and
I think the people here in theUniversity of Tennessee and I
(54:14):
think the people here in thecity of Knoxville.
I will hold them up to anybodyacross the country.
Speaker 3 (54:20):
He said open your eyes and see a volunteer, and
you done seen something.
Speaker 4 (54:23):
You done seen something.
Yes, so that's what I would sayto people.
Speaker 3 (54:28):
That would be if they wanted to come to University of
Tennessee.
Last question what's next?
What's next for?
Speaker 4 (54:34):
Thomas Small?
I don't know.
Speaker 3 (54:35):
I don't know what I want to be when I grow up.
Speaker 4 (54:38):
I'm still trying to figure that out.
I'm still figuring it out.
I will let you know.
I just want to make adifference, I just want to make
an impact and I just want to.
I want to use my dash to reallyhelp, help, help, help our
world, and I don't know whatthat would be.
We're doing a lot ofinternational stuff here at UT
now.
I talked about the work we'redoing in Rwanda and in South
(54:59):
Africa and in Japan and inPuerto Rico, and we're taking
students to these places and itis really just opening their
eyes about what they could doand the impact they can make in
the world.
And so I just want to continueto do that.
As long as I'm having fun, aslong as my cup is still being
filled, and as long as I feellike I'm making a difference and
making an impact, then I'llcontinue to do this, that or
(55:22):
until Tammy tells me I'm goingto do something else.
Speaker 2 (55:25):
You know, that's boss , lady, that's boss lady.
Speaker 3 (55:27):
This.
Tammy, shout out to Tammy, yeah, shout out.
I thank you for sitting downwith me and having a
conversation and tackling sometough subjects and just giving
people hope and giving thempromise and saying University of
Tennessee is the only one.
Speaker 4 (55:44):
Absolutely Go, vols Go.
Speaker 3 (55:46):
Vols Tune in every Friday to Talk in Tennessee.
Bye guys.
Speaker 4 (55:50):
See ya.
Speaker 1 (55:54):
Thanks for listening to Talk in Tennessee with Yvonca
.
Watch out for our weeklyepisodes from the First Family
of Real Estate and check us outon the web
wwwyvoncasalesrealestatecom.
See our videos on Yvonca'sYouTube channel or find us on
Facebook under Yvonca Landis andTwitter at Yvonca Landis, and
(56:17):
don't forget to tell a friendabout us.
Until next time.
Yvonca signing off.
Check us out to hear the latest on life in the
volunteer state.
Yvonca and her guests discusseverything from life, love and
business with a Tennessee flair.
It's a Tennessee thing, alwaysrelatable, always relevant and
always a good time.
This is Talkin' Tennessee, andnow your host, yvonca.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
This episode is brought to you by the Landis
team, your go-to real estatefamily in East Tennessee.
If you are looking to buy orsell, we are the ones you should
call.
Give us a call at 865-660-1186or check out our website at
YvoncaSellsRealEstatecom.
That's Yvonca Y-V-O-N-N-C-ASalesRealEstatecom.
Speaker 3 (00:48):
Welcome back to Talking Tennessee with Yvonne Ca
.
I'm your host and this week isopening week and we're opening
up with Tavi Small withUniversity of Tennessee.
He's the Vice Chancellor ofAccess and Engagement.
Welcome.
Speaker 4 (01:04):
Thank you for having me.
Speaker 3 (01:05):
Most definitely, most definitely.
Well, we were talking aboutthis off camera, and so we're
going to talk about it on camera.
How did we meet?
Speaker 4 (01:12):
I don't know.
I think it was at an event andit was probably on campus.
I think it was on campus.
Speaker 3 (01:18):
I think it was too it was an event on campus.
I will tell you this.
Been on campus, I will tell youthis I always find different
people in the community that Ican look up to that has achieved
way more things than I have,and that's my inspiration and I
want you to know.
You're one of the people.
Speaker 4 (01:37):
You're way too kind, but you are doing your thing
here in Knoxville, thank you.
Thank you, I'll set an example.
Speaker 3 (01:44):
Thank you, I really, when I met you, I didn't know
who you were, was and I was like, okay, so who is this person?
Because I saw you connect withdifferent people.
Every time I would see you, youwould always greet somebody
with a smile, you would alwaysgive them their moment to talk
to you, and I'm like I've got tofind out who this person is.
(02:04):
So, of course, google is alwaysgood.
Google is always good.
So I Googled you and I was like, oh, wow.
And so over the last, say, yearand a half, I have admired you
from afar and when I see you, wealways you would think we know
each other real well because wealways would greet each other
(02:25):
and we'd stop and talk for a fewminutes.
But I just want you to knowbefore we do this podcast is
that you inspire me, oh, thankyou so much In so many different
ways and let me say a fewthings that you inspire me in.
You inspire me in community,you inspire me as a leader and
you inspire me to go for yourdreams and goals, absolutely,
(02:48):
you know.
So let's get into.
Who is Tyvie Small?
Wow, I don't know how to followthat.
Speaker 4 (02:55):
You set the stage nicely.
Speaker 1 (02:57):
Thank you for your kind words.
Speaker 3 (02:59):
Yes.
Speaker 4 (02:59):
You know, as a man of faith and as someone who grew
up with a large, extended familywho thought that all those
things were important.
Leadership was important,community was important, giving
back was important.
So all of that.
Speaker 3 (03:15):
So let's go start where first.
Let's give respect.
Tommy is married to Tammy.
Tammy is yes, Tammy is hisbetter half, as I always call it
Better half.
Tell us a little bit.
Speaker 4 (03:30):
The better and the gooder, half the better and the
gooder.
So shout out to Tammy.
Speaker 3 (03:35):
Tell me who Tammy is.
Speaker 4 (03:37):
Tammy is a beautiful woman, a woman of deep faith, a
woman who is kind, who wascaring, who's thoughtful.
You know she rememberseverybody's birthday and it's
just, it's weird, you know, ifsomeone's birthday, she'll call
me, and hey, that's thosebirthdays today.
It's that's just birthday shekeeps you on your toes.
(03:57):
She keeps me on my toes, butthat's who she is.
We met here at the Universityof Tennessee.
We worked in the College ofBusiness together, and so that's
how we originally met.
Speaker 3 (04:07):
So so y'all started dating here?
Oh wow.
So for the people that don'tknow, you are from Florida yes,
pahokee Florida.
Pahokee, florida.
I let him say that, because meand Adrian literally was like
how are we gonna say where he'sfrom, because I don't even know
how to pronounce it.
So but tell, but tell theviewers who are you.
Take the titles off, takeeverything you've accomplished.
(04:29):
Who is the man?
Speaker 4 (04:31):
First and foremost, a man of faith, a man of deep
faith.
You know, of course, you know ahusband, a friend, a son, a
brother, all of that, but Ithink what starts it is is my
faith.
I grew up in Pahokee with asingle mom.
A mom passed away during COVIDand it was just my mom, my
(04:55):
sister and I.
My sister passed away in 2008in a car accident about a year
after I moved here, but we had alarge extended family.
So my maternal grandparents had10 kids, so I have 33 first
cousins.
Speaker 3 (05:09):
What.
Speaker 4 (05:10):
And so we grew up in Pahokee, most of us, so we had a
large, extended family.
Speaker 3 (05:14):
It probably helped you to deal with your sister's
death first, and then with yourmom yeah, to have that big
family Absolutely, because I'velost all of my immediate family.
I have a brother and a sister,like all the grandparents, the
parents, and so you have to leanwherever your tribe, your crew
is to get through that typething, and you have to have
(05:36):
faith.
I'm a woman of faith and I knowthat God trumps all and you
always have to have Him in thecenter of everything that you do
.
That's the biggest thing,because you can do nothing
without him Absolutely.
Speaker 4 (05:51):
And I know that all too well.
You know I don't too, BecauseI'm trying and it didn't work.
Speaker 3 (05:56):
I tell people all the time I'm like there was a time.
You know, in the Bible it saysdo all things in God's plan and
God's timing and that type thing.
And that's not the easiestthing to accept and do I said.
But I can say I'm 53 years oldand I can say I don't want
anything out of the will of God.
And I can't say that I'vealways been that way, because
(06:17):
you know, when you wantsomething you want it, but God
will show you why you need it inthe will of God and why you
don't want it.
Speaker 4 (06:24):
And sometimes he'll say not right now, Right, and so
I think sometimes he's teachingus patience.
He'll say you know, I'm notsaying you can't have it, but
not right now.
Speaker 3 (06:33):
And I think people take that not right now as a
failure.
Speaker 4 (06:38):
They take it as a no.
Speaker 3 (06:39):
As a no.
As a no, or I can't completethis, I'm a failure.
And as a no, or I can'tcomplete this, I'm a failure,
and I'm like no, it just may notbe your time.
God has time for everyone, andeven when you see other people
climbing and it may be the exactsame thing you want, if God
said, not right now, he's gotsomething greater for you.
Anyway, you know he's preparingyou for your greatness.
(07:04):
So I would say this how longhave you been here?
Speaker 4 (07:08):
So I've been in Knoxville for 17 years.
I started, if I got.
I think my first day was June17th of 2007.
Speaker 3 (07:18):
OK University of.
Speaker 4 (07:18):
Tennessee what brought you here the job.
So I was working in governmentand politics and had a great job
, but the boss who I was workingfor was running for reelection
and it's Florida and it'selection, so you never know.
So we knew she was going to getreelected, but was a little
unsure because the person shewas running against said if I
(07:39):
get elected I'm going to fireeverybody in the mayor's office.
And so a fraternity brothersent me the job announcement at
the university of Tennessee,cause I came here.
I've spent my first 13 years inthe business school and the
Haslam college of business, sothat's where I got started.
And fraternity brother sent methis job announcement and I
thought, uh, I'll just apply.
Um, I applied for the job, themayor got reelected, all was
(08:02):
great.
And then Tennessee called.
And you said Wait a minute whatI said I had never been to
Tennessee.
No, I had been to Tennesseeonly once.
Speaker 2 (08:12):
I'd never been to Knoxville.
I said you know what?
Speaker 4 (08:14):
I don't have a decision to make until I have a
decision to make.
Speaker 2 (08:17):
And so I came to the interview.
Speaker 4 (08:20):
I said you know, we did a phone interview with one
search committee member Wentwell, Then he called back again
and said, hey, we want to do aphone interview with the entire
search committee.
Did that phone interview withthe search committee and said,
oh, nothing will ever happen.
And then they called back and Iflew up an interview and I
thought, okay, nothing will everhappen.
And then I got the call.
Speaker 3 (08:39):
And you had to make a decision.
I had to make a decision.
Let me tell you what happened.
Speaker 4 (08:42):
This is a true story.
So, as we were driving downOcoa Highway from the airport I
airport, I was in the back of aminivan it was a cab but it was
a minivan and I saw that signthat said welcome to Knoxville,
knox.
County and I remember lookingat that sign and all of a sudden
stuff just went into slowmotion and it was like this
(09:02):
feeling just came over me and asa man of faith I knew it was
God that just gave me thisunmerited sense of calm and
peace.
And so when I came and did theinterview, I was competing
against two internal candidates,and the dean that hired me at
the time will tell you he had noidea.
He said I didn't even know whata Tommy Small was.
But he said I won everyinterview with the faculty, with
(09:26):
the staff, with students,alumni, every one of those.
Speaker 3 (09:29):
God is in the midst of it, and so.
Speaker 4 (09:32):
I said yes, and I met Tammy throughout that process,
and so I didn't realize I hadalready met my wife.
Speaker 3 (09:38):
Wow, because she was already here.
So you moved from Florida.
You came to an interview.
Let's go back just a little bit.
He is.
I will let you tell whatfraternity are you with.
Speaker 4 (09:48):
There is but one Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity
Incorporated.
Speaker 3 (09:51):
Shout out to them To the noobs.
So your fraternity brother toldyou about a job you interviewed
.
You came here to talk to himabout everything and you got off
an airplane and that feelinghit you and you got that call,
that.
You got the job.
(10:12):
Yeah, was you nervous?
Speaker 4 (10:16):
No, it was such a sense of peace.
I remember I got the call inStarbucks on Palm Beach Lakes
Boulevard in West Palm Beach.
Speaker 1 (10:21):
Oh, wow.
Speaker 4 (10:23):
Because I was living and working for the mayor of
West Palm at the time.
Speaker 2 (10:26):
So I remember getting that call.
Speaker 3 (10:27):
That was the divine plan for your life, and so you
never thought that you wouldfind, you'd get the job, and
that you'd find the moment ofyour dreams Right.
Speaker 4 (10:37):
My plan was to come to Knoxville, stay here two
years and go back to Florida.
Speaker 2 (10:41):
Really that was the plan, because all my family was
there, great weather, all ofthat.
Speaker 4 (10:51):
But I was involved with the Urban League Young
Professionals in West Palm Beachand so when I got here, phyllis
Nichols, who was the CEO of theUrban League at the time,
connected with me.
He had connected us via emailand so when I got here I
connected with her and she juststarted plugging me in.
They often talk about havingmentors and having sponsors, and
Phyllis was a sponsor.
Not only did she say, hey, tybee, this is the door you need to
(11:13):
walk in, this is the thing youneed to get involved with, but
she grabbed my hand and broughtme into the room with her.
Speaker 3 (11:19):
That's amazing.
Speaker 4 (11:20):
Knoxville became home because I got connected to the
community really, really quicklyand I knew that this was a
special place.
People often talk aboutKnoxville not embracing
outsiders, but I will tell you,knoxville loved on me like never
before, and I'll love it rightback.
Speaker 3 (11:38):
I'm from Harriman, tennessee I don't know if you
know that and that's like 30, 45minutes from Knoxville, and I
can say that from my experienceKnoxville has always loved on me
.
You know, can I sit there andsay that every door that I
thought needed to open opened?
No, but over time I realized itwasn't meant to open and it
(11:58):
wasn't that Knoxville didn'topen it, it was not God's plan
to open.
You know he had other doors hewanted me to walk through, and
so I look at it that way.
But what is the most?
What would you say?
Back then, 17 years ago, whatwas the one thing that stuck out
to you about Knoxville thatsaid outside the university?
(12:19):
That just was like this isgoing to be my home for a while.
Speaker 4 (12:22):
The people.
So I got involved withKnoxville Area Urban League
Young Professionals and therewere so many of us who were new
to the area, new to many of themworked at UT, new to the
community, and we built thisreally strong bond of friendship
.
Right, they became my family,my tribe.
I didn't have any family hereat the time right, so they
(12:43):
became my tribe and so theyembraced me.
And then folks that I work withyou know Willie and Frida
Johnson, who are here and havebeen here for a while Frida
adopted me and so, you know, Ibecame her godson and my mom and
her became really good friendsand so when my mom would come up
from Florida she would spendmore time with Frida than me.
Speaker 1 (13:03):
Because they became family.
Speaker 4 (13:05):
And so I created these fictive kinships right
Through people in the community,through Urban League.
People just kind of wrappedtheir arms around me and said,
hey, you know you're home andyou belong and we're going to
get you connected.
So let me talk aboutserendipity.
So of those 10 kids that mygrandparents had my maternal
(13:25):
grandparents had one of themwent to college my Aunt Janice
that my maternal grandparentshad.
One of them went to college, myAunt Janice, and she went to
Knoxville College and graduatedin 1979.
Really, so I had always heardabout Knoxville College and she
would come home, come inreunions and all of that stuff,
and she never had any biologicalkids but she was a teacher, she
(13:45):
taught school for 35, almost 40years but her nieces and
nephews were her kids.
And so I'm here today becausemy Aunt Janice really kind of
exposed me to life.
Right, I remember, you know,again, she didn't have any
biological kids, but I rememberwe would go places in there.
She took me to my first NFLgame.
(14:06):
Really, you know, we used to goto this place called Okeechobee
Steakhouse and I could barelysee over the table and she would
take, you know, just wanting toexpose me to the finer things
in life, and I don't think shewould have been able to do that
without her education at KC.
I believe that so full circle.
I remember telling her when I,when I took the job here, I just
thought it was so, so neat thatyou know she was also a special
(14:29):
part of my life to see now mygrandfather my grandfather was
an educator.
Speaker 3 (14:34):
Uh, he was the very first black principal in hermit
okay, hermit city schools and hewas there for 45 years.
He did 60 years in the countyand 45 years um for hermit and
he went to knoxville college andall his brothers went to
Knoxville College.
So I got exposed at a veryyoung age about Knoxville
(14:54):
College before I came toKnoxville, and so it's a very
unique you know experiencebecause you know you're around
more of your culture but therewas things that you needed
nurturing that you could bringto everybody.
But you had to know yourculture to me and so I remember
my grandfather and his brothersalways donated to Knoxville
(15:17):
College and we would always.
They would have a program andthey would bring back alumni,
the older alumni, to honor themand my grandfather would always
take us and he would line us upin that auditorium and he lied
and everything and he exposed meto that to show me you know
what.
Here's some rooms you need to bein, but when you get in those
(15:39):
rooms sometimes you need tolisten and sometimes you need to
speak up and speak out but besubstance for a room and and
that was the biggest thing,because I would see him and his
brothers be that substance.
They would get up, get up andspeak and talk.
And I'm like now, most of it Icouldn't understand because I
(16:02):
was so young, but he exposed meto coming in a room and sitting
and listen to other people talk,and then he showed me when
there was time, it was time forme to speak, and so I learned
that at Knoxville College.
Absolutely, so you probablylearned the same thing.
I learned that from my agenda.
You know what I'm saying.
Just observing, let me ask youthis what would be one thing
(16:27):
that you would say if I couldpick one thing out of Florida
that I could bring to Tennessee?
Okay, yeah, what would it be?
It could be professional orpersonal.
Speaker 4 (16:41):
So you know, because it's relatively cold, I'm always
cold.
You know, anything below 70degrees is cold to me.
I would bring the Floridaweather up here.
I would bring the weather.
Come on now.
You can dress better in thewinter Summer is so hot, Would I
(17:01):
tell people.
Florida has two seasons summerand hurricane.
Speaker 3 (17:04):
Well, that's kind of true.
Yes, Now my in-laws all live inMount Dora, outside of Orlando.
Speaker 4 (17:10):
Oh, my goodness, goodness, I spent a whole lot of
time in mount dora.
Yes, so late county and you?
Speaker 3 (17:14):
know it's perfect weather.
It's just like if they get inthe 60s, they're thinking
they're in the 30s.
But yes, um.
So all of david's family moveddown there, and so we were there
a month ago and that weatherwas gorgeous, gorgeous.
But, I like winter.
Speaker 4 (17:30):
No, I don't like that .
Speaker 3 (17:32):
Now the last few weeks when it got really, really
cold.
I don't like that kind of cold.
I like that 30, 40.
Small world.
Speaker 4 (17:41):
So when I went to the University of South Florida for
both my undergrad and mymaster's, and when I graduated I
worked in admissions at theuniversity.
So I did recruitment, and soLake and Sumter County were my
counties, and so Tavares,umatilla, mount Dora, all of
that stuff.
Speaker 3 (17:57):
I spent a whole lot of time there.
That is a small world, so ifyou could pick, I know there's a
lot of things about Universityof Tennessee that we both love.
Ok, and let me give a shout outto University of Tennessee that
we both love.
Okay, and let me give a shoutout to University of Tennessee.
I know when I brought mycompany here Turner Knox rental
(18:19):
y'all welcome me.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I've tried tohelp me.
You have.
You have literally said okay,you've all could call this
person.
You've introduced me to peoplelike okay, I remember at your
event at the brunch.
You were like okay, ashley, thisis your vocal latest and that
embracing is priceless.
So I want to thank you and theUniversity of Tennessee for
(18:41):
welcoming me.
I didn't go to University ofTennessee, but my husband did
and my father-in-law.
I don't know if you know this.
My father-in-law taught inengineering for 30 years.
Did not know that For 30 years.
He retired about seven yearsago and so to bring back a
business to your team, youruniversity that you love, that
(19:06):
is huge to me.
Speaker 4 (19:07):
I will say this about your work the reason why I
think you're successful here isbecause everything you do, you
do it with excellence.
Thank you.
Sometimes that's all you needto do.
Everything that you do, you doit with excellence.
Thank you, that's why you keepgetting the phone calls back
because you do.
What you say you're going to do,I do.
When you say I'm going to showup, you show up.
(19:29):
Thank you do I do.
When you say I'm going to showup, you show up.
And you go above and beyondevery time.
Speaker 3 (19:32):
Thank you.
Speaker 4 (19:33):
Even the event that we had a couple of weeks ago you
were like this is my stuff.
And I'm like you know what.
You did a phenomenal job, and Ithink that's why people respect
you, and respect the work thatyou do.
Speaker 3 (19:45):
And what I teach my kids is I'm like.
You know what?
If you say you're going to dosomething, do it.
If you.
If you find a time that youcan't do it, then you pick up
the phone and you need to callthe person, talk to them
directly and say, hey, Ipromised you this, but this is
the situation.
I said communication is key andI said and when you walk in the
door, you should walk inexcellence, they should see the
(20:08):
best version of you.
But if you don't show that, youknow people are not supposed to
give you an opportunity justbecause they're supposed to give
to you.
No, you need to earn thatopportunity.
And so I teach my whole familythat.
And it's like when we're doingan event, I don't care about all
the other events I have.
I look at each event as thisevent.
(20:28):
How can we make this the bestevent?
Even in our real estatebusiness, we do the same thing.
I don't talk about my clientsto other clients because I'm
like they don't care about allof that.
They care about what are yougoing to do for them.
And so that's what I teach andI try.
I tell people I'm like, evenwith your walk with God.
I'm like you can talk all day,but your walk should speak.
(20:51):
You don't have to walk aroundand say I'm a Christian, I'm a
Christian.
Your walk should.
People should know that personright there has faith.
That person right there followsGod in your walk.
So I thank you for saying thatto me and for me, because you
always want somebody to be yourvoice.
You know what I'm saying, so Ithank you for that.
Speaker 4 (21:13):
That's what I try to teach our students In this work.
I say a couple things.
Number one is education is agreat equalizer, and so when we
talk about, people say, well,what is access and engagement?
Really it's about access toopportunity, and so we want to
give all Tennesseans, as a landgrant and a flagship institution
(21:33):
, we want to give all allTennesseans access to
opportunity, right?
Yes, because we do know thateducation is a great equalizer.
Speaker 3 (21:41):
It is.
Speaker 4 (21:42):
And so how do we get students here, get them in
opportunities where they can besuccessful, where they can
thrive Right?
Well, they can realize theirgoals and dreams, whatever that
might be.
But what I talk to them aboutis this idea of excellence is
the standard right, when you'rein class, when you're outside of
class, if you're going to beinvolved in organizations, do it
(22:02):
all with excellence.
Speaker 3 (22:04):
I tell I do a Facebook live and I tell people
I said I wasn't raised to bebasic, I was raised to do
excellence.
And some people say, well, whatdo you mean?
You know?
Basically, I said, if you'rejust giving the bare minimums,
how can you grow?
(22:24):
I mean just common sense totell you you can't grow just
doing the basics.
You have to go over and abovefor whatever you're doing, so
that you can show that nobodyelse can give that kind of
service, no matter what you'redoing.
Speaker 4 (22:42):
And you be the best that you can be right.
Sometimes people get this ideathat they have to compete or
compare.
Right, you don't need tocompete or compare.
You just need to be the bestyou that you can be right.
Bring your very best towhatever situation it is, and
people will respect it andthey'll honor it.
Speaker 3 (23:00):
This is my thing.
Even with our company, I said Idon't want to be known as a
product company.
I want to be known as a servicecompany that brings great
products, because service nevergoes out of style.
Products they can go in and outeverything else.
And I said it's all about theservice.
And if you think about evendown to your students, you have
(23:22):
to show them you know what goodservice is, because they'll take
it to the community and they'llserve and they'll be a good
servant.
But if you go on, just okay,well, you got a degree and
that's it.
And no, you got a degree andhow are you going to apply it?
How are you going to apply itto your life and other people's
life?
Do you agree with that?
Speaker 4 (23:44):
I agree, we have this thing called.
It's called TRAIL.
It's now expanded.
It used to be called theTennessee Rwanda Leadership
Experience, where we would takea group of students and student
athletes and we would go toRwanda.
Speaker 1 (23:58):
And now we're going to Rwanda and South Africa.
Speaker 4 (23:59):
And we've expanded a part of it to Japan, and it's
centered around these four,these four pillars leadership,
service, culture and communityRight, and it's talking.
We talk about this idea of yougoing to be global leaders,
global scholars right, and wetalk about this idea of you're
going to be global leaders,global scholars, global citizens
right, the people that weregraduating from the university
today.
They're the future businessleaders future politicians,
(24:22):
government leaders, educatorsright, they're going to be
running this country and we wantthem to really think about this
idea of how do you lead, butalso how do you serve.
Speaker 2 (24:32):
How do you?
Speaker 1 (24:32):
make communities better.
Speaker 3 (24:36):
What do you have to give to your community?
Speaker 4 (24:38):
And whatever communities you go into when you
lead, is it going to be abetter place because you were
there?
Speaker 3 (24:44):
It should be.
Yes, this is my way of thinking.
There's two types of peoplethere's givers and there's
takers.
And my grandfather said to mewhen I was a kid at the time I
didn't get it, but I do now hesaid what will your legacy be?
What will it be?
He said, when you die?
What will they remember you as?
And I don't want people toremember me as, oh, she was a
(25:08):
great realtor.
No, I want them to rememberthat I made a difference, that I
did for community.
I came outside of myself and Imade other people win.
You know that type thing.
But it takes you putting timein yourself and bettering
yourself and then go out andoffer yourself to your community
(25:31):
and, like you said, when youleave, whatever you leave, is it
better, Right, or did you take?
I don't want to be a taker, youknow, because God never told us
to be takers.
He said be givers and give witha kind heart.
You know that type of thing.
What is the biggest thing thatyou could say that you love
(25:52):
about University of Tennessee?
Speaker 4 (25:54):
I love the people and I love the opportunity.
All right, the people, becauseyou know I, absolutely I do this
for for the students, right, Ido this because we just had
graduation and when I tell you,it fills my cup every time
because there are students,there are parents that are
seeking me out.
(26:15):
You know, grandmas that say baby, just let me hug your neck
because of the role that youplayed in my grandson's and my
granddaughter's life.
Right, how you mentored them,how you've given them
opportunity, how you help, lethelp them see something bigger
than themselves, how you helpthem see something bigger than
themselves.
Speaker 3 (26:31):
And that's what I love.
And they've talked about you,they've went home and told the
mark you're making on their lifeand that's why those
grandmothers and mothers anddifferent family members that
are saying, hey, I just want tohug you because I just want you
to know what you've done in mychild's life Absolutely, because
I think a lot of times peoplelook at the young people and
they look at where they're atright now.
(26:52):
But we all was there at onetime.
Speaker 4 (26:55):
Listen, we give this generation such a hard time.
We do I absolutely love thisgeneration.
They are smart and witty andresourceful and they care about
what they care about.
Speaker 3 (27:07):
And once our generation we were taught okay,
a lot of it was about speakingand watching.
One thing I can give thisgeneration if they don't like
something, they're going to tellyou.
Speaker 4 (27:22):
They're going to tell you.
Speaker 2 (27:23):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (27:24):
And is that a bad thing?
It is.
It's really not, if you thinkabout it, because you can change
something if you know, andthat's one thing I picked from
this generation I'm like they'lltell you what they like and
what they don't like, and theydon't worry about if they're
going to ruffle feathers, rightright, and that's what I like
about this generation.
Speaker 4 (27:45):
Right, that's exactly .
You know, people often say,well, they're the leaders of
tomorrow, and I said thatearlier.
But they're the leaders oftomorrow, and I said that
earlier, but really they're theleaders of today.
Speaker 3 (27:53):
They are the leaders of now.
They really are.
Speaker 4 (27:54):
They are making impact and making differences in
their communities right now.
Speaker 3 (27:57):
And they've got so many opportunities that they can
make that big impact Absolutely, and so let's stay away from
downing them, let's lift them.
I tell people that all the time.
You've got to lift them up andunderstand that we all had to
find our way.
And you see us now and you knowwe can get suited and booted
(28:22):
and look like we have it alltogether, but there's a lot of
people in their 50s that hadn'tfound their way, you know.
So how do you think a20-year-old is going to know?
You know everything.
So I'm like come on, give thema chance and let them mentorship
(28:42):
, sponsorship yes, if you reallywant this generation to be
better, instead of doubting them, say you know what, pick a
child and say you know what.
I want to mentor you and I wantto meet with you at least once a
month.
You know, because I know lifeis busy, but mentorship is
awesome.
I mentor some people and I wantthem to do the greatest and I
(29:05):
tell them only thing I'm doingis giving you advice.
I'm telling you you know, hey,sharing my journey, but you're
the one that's doing work, andso when you go up, you don't
have to give me credit for it,because it was what you did.
It wasn't what I did.
You did the work, you see.
Speaker 4 (29:23):
So let me ask you this that's what I love, the
work that I do in the community,particularly with the Urban
League.
So I was chair of the NationalAchiever Society for almost 10
years and I followed DeanRosalind Tillman and I tell you
I absolutely loved those youngpeople.
We would induct between 100 and120, 130 young people each year
(29:46):
.
They were high schoolsophomores, juniors and seniors.
And when I tell you, Iabsolutely love that work
because I got to see the nextgeneration in action.
They are smart and they arehungry and they want it better
and they just needed a littlebit of guidance and that's what
we tried to give them.
And now I see I've seen thosescholars over 10 years now.
(30:06):
Many have gone to college, manyof them graduated, they're
doing well in their industry, intheir field of study, and
they're giving back to the nextgeneration and I'm like, yes,
that's what we wanted to do.
Speaker 3 (30:19):
They did it and I knew they were going to do it.
They just needed time.
Speaker 4 (30:23):
That's what I love.
That's what fills my cup.
Speaker 3 (30:27):
I agree, especially when you see a kid, that it's
like they may have had obstacles, they may have had family
problems, they may have you knowall different things and you
see them succeed.
You're like, yes, they wentabove and beyond.
You don't know their story, youdon't and don't judge people on
(30:48):
their story and your storydoesn't define you.
It's just a story, it's achapter right, think about those
.
Speaker 4 (30:55):
It's a chapter, right , and you know, think about
those.
It's a chapter in the book,right, right.
If you just stop at chapter one, you don't get to see the
beauty in chapter 10.
That's a good point, you onlystop at that first chapter,
right?
And so all of our lives arechapters, right?
Speaker 3 (31:08):
You know where I am here today where I was yesterday
, that is Today where I wasyesterday and it won't be where
I'll be tomorrow, right?
He said every one of us.
I'm going to say it again.
I'm going to let him say itagain because this is really
good Everybody's a chapter Goahead.
Speaker 4 (31:21):
Every one of our stories are made up of chapters,
right, and each chapter createsthe whole book, right?
And so if you stop at chapter,if the book is 10 chapters and
you stop at chapter 6, right,you don't get to see the beauty
that happens in chapter 7, 8, 9,and 10.
And you don't get to see thecompletion at all.
You don't get to see thecompletion.
I think that's what sometimeswe do with our young people, and
(31:43):
sometimes we do that with eachother, yeah that's true.
Our stories are not done beingwritten.
Speaker 3 (31:49):
And we have to realize that everybody has a bad
day and we have good days.
And if we really care aboutpeople, you have to realize, on
those bad days, that's when youreally should be rah, rah, rah.
Speaker 4 (32:07):
Do you agree?
You know, what I often say isthat you shouldn't judge people
by their worst day ever, becausethey do all the good things
that people do and we forgetabout, and they do one bad thing
or they mess up, and that'swhat we remember and that's what
we judge them on.
And hold them on and hold themon right.
(32:27):
What about all the other greatthings they do?
I don't want to ever judgesomebody by their worst day.
God, really, he said othergreat things they do.
Speaker 3 (32:33):
I don't want to ever judge somebody by their worst
day.
Think about God, god, really.
He said you've got all yoursins.
I'm going to wipe all that away.
He didn't say you had one sin.
He said we're all sinners.
So I'm like, okay, yeah.
So let me ask you this how isUT culturally different from
other universities that you havebeen affiliated with?
Speaker 4 (32:56):
You know it's interesting.
So there's something about thisvolunteer spirit that people
talk about that I didn'tunderstand and couldn't explain
when I first started.
But there is a level of support, a level of trial and error
that we give to everybody who'sa part of this family.
(33:19):
Right, and so when we thinkabout my work, we center it in
four buckets it's access,belonging, a culture of respect
and community.
Right, and so when you thinkabout those four pillars, that's
what makes the University ofTennessee different.
Right, because sometimes I'llwork with either recruiting-
(33:41):
students who are non-athletes orstudents who are athletes,
right, and I often have gone onto college tours or been a part
of other college tours and ifyou close your eyes, it says the
same thing.
They're all the same thing.
Close your eyes and fill in theblank random university.
Speaker 3 (33:54):
Yes, right.
Speaker 4 (33:55):
So what makes us different, I think, are the
people.
It's the way that we giveopportunities, it's the way that
we give grace, it's the waythat we create cultures of
respect, it's the way that webuild community.
Yes, I agree, that's what makesus different, and we speak.
Speaker 3 (34:15):
It's the different and we speak.
I think the biggest thing abouteast tennessee, I would say and
you can agree or disagree is weall, no matter if we know each
other or not.
You can go in a grocery store,see somebody and we're going to
speak.
That's to me.
Think of our name, volunteervolunteers.
Think of the name you know, youstep forward and you volunteer.
And when someone think aboutone of the players, let's say
(34:39):
because we're about to go toOhio State and we wish everybody
great, but we're going to winAnyway.
But we're all gathered togetherand say if one of the players
had a situation at home,everybody rallies in the
volunteer state.
This community comes togetherand rallies for those students,
(35:04):
for those athletes.
They rally.
Speaker 4 (35:06):
I saw it.
We lost a student recently andone of our faculty members who
was the advisor for theorganization that this person
was a part of.
And you know we were talkingthe other day and that's one of
the things I told him.
I said I respect about you somuch.
When that happened you justwent into motion.
Speaker 3 (35:24):
Right, yes.
Speaker 4 (35:24):
We wrapped our arms around those kids, we wrapped
our arms around thatorganization and we just loved
on.
Yes, it wasn't.
It wasn't about anything otherthan making sure that they were
okay and that they had what theyneeded to do to get through
that situation Time and timeagain.
That's what I found at UT, andI think that's why I've stayed
(35:45):
right, because we all haveoptions, right, correct?
I didn't have to stay here.
I didn't have to be here.
You were only supposed to behere two years Right, which your
plan was right.
It was the people who I met inthe community.
It was the people like fridawho were on campus.
Speaker 1 (36:02):
Who wrapped?
Speaker 4 (36:02):
their arms around me.
I was like you, my godson now,and so when I was here for
holidays would call and say, hey, come over to the house and get
a plate right it was all ofthose kinds of things that made
me feel they just loved on meand that was and made you feel
that loved on you.
Speaker 3 (36:12):
It just loved on me, and that was on campus and made
you feel family and off campus.
Speaker 4 (36:14):
And that's what we try to do with our students
Regardless of your background,your ethnicity, your experiences
, regardless of all of that, wewant to make sure that you feel
like you matter and that youbelong, and that's what I think
makes us different than a lot ofuniversities that I've been a
part of or have interacted with.
Speaker 3 (36:37):
Well, I'll tell you something that I just applaud
you for.
We did an event this spring andthe event was to help distress
the students before finals.
Help distress the studentsbefore finals.
So y'all did an event and I andI never forget asking what is
(36:58):
this event for, you know, andthey're like, we want to take
the stress off of our students,for them to have a day before
their finals that they can just,you know, be them, you know, be
around their peers, their peersand just love on each other.
I saw so many of the facultycame out, loved on those
(37:21):
students, shook their hands,talked to them, asked them how
their family members were.
That just stuck out to me.
I've never seen that and I'vevisited other campuses, other
universities.
That stuck out to me becauseI'm like you're trying to take
stress off of students beforetheir finals to make sure that
(37:42):
when they walk in there they'reprepared and they are.
Speaker 4 (37:46):
they are less stressed than they were two days
ago you know, yes, and I thinkone of the things that you know
we've done and you talk to AmberWilliams, I know is that we are
a strength based campus, nowRight, and we don't look at our
students from a deficit mindset.
We look at them and not say whatyou can't do, but what you can
(38:07):
do Right, and we try to instillthat in our students.
Everything that we do,everywhere that we go, is like
you can, you can Right, and youdon't, you don't teach no, feel
that in our students.
Speaker 3 (38:14):
Everything that we do , everywhere that we go, is like
you can, you can right, and youdon't.
You don't teach, no, yeah, okay, you teach you can you know.
Do we get no's in life?
Yes, but, but you don't teachit.
You teach, you can do, and, andlong as you apply it.
And my favorite scripture isfaith without works is dead, and
it it's.
(38:34):
It sums up if you think abouteverything in your life, right,
you got to have faith in God andyou got to do the work, because
it doesn't matter you know whatchecks your parents, right, it
doesn't matter who you know.
If you don't show up and go toclass and you don't apply
yourself, there's where the workis.
If you don't apply yourself,then you can't climb, okay, and
(38:58):
so so I use that scripture a lotbecause I'm like it sums up
everything.
We have to work it, even in ourcommunity, when we go out in
the community, because I knowyou do a lot in your community
and I want to talk about thosethings later on.
But you know, if you didn't godown this path, what would my
job was to be Johnny Cochran.
(39:19):
That would have been a good one.
Yes, you want me to tell youwhy he was amazing he was the
first black lawyer I ever saw,and a real Like.
Speaker 4 (39:27):
you see him played on TV.
That's the truth People oftentalk about.
You can't be what you can't see, but that was true for me.
I'm from Pahokee man.
I ain't no lawyer that looklike me.
You hear what?
Speaker 3 (39:35):
he's saying A lot of people until that trial never
saw a black attorney.
And Johnny Cochran really didopen eyes for all cultures to
say well what?
And I just remember.
And he came on the scene gunsblazing.
Speaker 4 (39:56):
And you know what did it for me?
Right, what If the glove don'tfit?
You must have quit.
Right, that did it for me.
And so I wanted to be JohnnyCockman.
Speaker 3 (40:04):
So my you know when I got involved with SGA.
Speaker 4 (40:06):
I do remember.
Speaker 3 (40:08):
Do you remember?
I tell Adrian this I was inhigh school.
Yes, I told Adrian.
I said Adrian that day,regardless if you believe,
whatever the child part of it,that day will go down in history
as it truly tore off theBand-Aid to everything between
(40:29):
all races, all races.
It truly, because when hestarted putting his hand in that
glove, it truly showed a lot ofpeople you know well.
For one, it showed that JohnnyCochran was a genius at that,
okay.
Speaker 4 (40:48):
But it just that's what I saw.
Like you know, regardless ofwhat.
Speaker 3 (40:50):
It made everybody.
Speaker 4 (40:52):
I wasn't.
I was watching Johnny CochranMe too, Because I was mesmerized
about how your family membershave it on every day, like
through that school in socialstudies.
I started school David was in.
Speaker 3 (41:05):
I think he said hyper .
Yes, he said when, when theyread the verdict because
everybody talks about where wasyou at that day, because it was
big, especially in the blackcommunity it was just like we
had to know.
We had to know what was goingto happen and we followed that
(41:26):
case.
I don't know another case thatwe can honestly say there aren't
other cases we follow, that wecan honestly say there are other
cases we follow.
But that just really made ussee a black man in a leadership
role, just stand out amongsteverybody.
Speaker 4 (41:43):
Because he did.
He was a great lawyer not agreat black lawyer.
Right, he was a great lawyer,and so that's what stood out to
me, and so that's why I wasgoing to be a lawyer.
Speaker 3 (41:55):
Thank you for saying that, because I tell people
sometimes people will make thatstatement that they're whoever's
great.
Oh, they're a great blacklawyer.
No, they're just a great lawyer.
Don't try to downsize it thattype of thing.
So thank you for saying thatabout him and and showing what
(42:16):
he did in your life.
Think about it at a very youngage, so that's what that's what
so?
Speaker 4 (42:21):
So higher ed was never the goal I didn't even
know higher ed was a professionyes, right.
And then when I got that job inadmissions and saw the lives
that could be impacted andchanged Right People who didn't
have access but knew that ifthey got opportunity that they
would be successful.
Because I was one of those kids, I came to USF through the TRIO
(42:42):
program right, federally fundedgrant program for you know
first gen, you know low incomestudents, and I was in student
support services and I know whatit meant for me, right, for
somebody to say you know, knowwhat, you may not have all this
right, but we see potentialright.
And that's what I wanted to dofor the next generation.
And so when I took the job, Iit felt that it didn't feel like
(43:06):
work, it felt natural because Iwas going into communities um
but urban rural, suburban rightcommunities.
when I talk about historicallyunderserved communities, when I
talk about under-resourcedcommunities, everybody's in
those communities, you knowpeople of color and not.
And I found myself going intocommunities and talking about
(43:27):
education and providing accessand realizing that, wow, if I
didn't get paid to do this, Iwould still do it because I was
loving it.
Speaker 3 (43:36):
Yes, it would feed my soul.
So what do you want to talkabout when it comes to what's
going on now in the world?
Speaker 4 (43:48):
You know, education is important and I really want
people to understand this ideawhen we talk about higher ed.
I work at the University ofTennessee, so of course I want
folks to think about coming tothe University of Tennessee, but
really, whatever that means foryou, I think sometimes we don't
understand the importance ofsome of our technical programs
about and then, you know, oftentalk about multiple chances,
multiple choices right.
(44:08):
Right when, if Tennessee, is itfor you there?
You know I talked about my auntgoing to KC right, which is
HBCU right, correct, and for herthat was the right place for
her.
I often ask her, you know, Iwould say, auntie, how did you
(44:29):
end up at Knoxville College?
You know I would say, auntie,how did you end up at Knoxville
College?
You know all the places, I'mlike, you got FAMU down the road
, you got Padun Cookmen, you gotElmwood Waters in Florida, all
those.
And she said because that wasthe place where I felt home,
(44:50):
where I felt like I could bringmy authentic self and I could be
pushed and supported in a waythat I needed.
And so, as I think about thisidea, sometimes people talk
about well, you know, PWI versusHBCU, that's an individual
decision.
I agree.
Speaker 3 (44:58):
And it doesn't mean one is better than the other.
It's where you fit that you cangrow.
Speaker 4 (45:05):
Yeah, it's all about growth and it's all about where
you feel you can bring yourauthentic self right and then
you can be successful.
And so sometimes it's at HBCUs,sometimes it may be at a place
like Tennessee, sometimes it maybe at a place like Pellissippi
or a community college, or itcould be a TCAT Right, one of
the colleges of appliedtechnology.
Speaker 3 (45:23):
I think that people don't realize that it's.
It's you talked about notcomparing.
Speaker 2 (45:30):
Right.
Speaker 3 (45:31):
OK, this is a good example for it.
You shouldn't compare theschools.
It's just what you feel, thatwhere you can grow.
And even though your mother oryour father went to HBCU, that
doesn't mean that's your path.
Speaker 4 (45:48):
Or vice versa.
They may have gone to PWI, butif HBCU is where you want to be
because you know, think aboutwhen we couldn't go to other
places.
You know, I still probablyweekly talk to Theotis Robinson
right, who was along withCharles.
Edgar Blair and Willa MaeGillespie were the first three
African-American studentsadmitted into UT at the
(46:10):
undergraduate level.
Speaker 3 (46:11):
I got to meet one of them at your brunch and that let
me just say that made my day atthe undergraduate level.
Speaker 4 (46:13):
I got to meet one of them at your brunch, dr Robinson
.
Speaker 3 (46:14):
Yeah, Let me just say that made my day and just to
hear him talk and talk about hisjourney and talk about the
things that he has helpedimplement, and it was just a
great conversation y'all had.
That was phenomenal.
Speaker 4 (46:31):
Thank you so much it really was, and he's a mentor
and a sponsor to me yeah and heoften talks about his journey at
the University of Tennessee.
But everybody's journey isdifferent and I think we have to
look at this as anindividualized journey and not a
collective journey, becausewhat may work for you may not
(46:53):
work for me, may not work foryour daughter, may not work for
your son, may not work for mywife, right?
So it all depends on who we areas individuals and what journey
we want to take in life.
Speaker 3 (47:03):
I agree.
I think a lot of the wordcollective.
You know, it got real popularabout two years ago, two or
three years ago and I said buteverything is not supposed to be
collective, okay, and I thinkpeople get caught up into that
because your growth isindividual, your individual
growth, do you agree?
Speaker 4 (47:24):
Your individual growth, your individual
decisions, because guess what?
At the end of your life,whatever you believe, when you
stand in front of whoever yourmaker is, it ain't going to have
a crowd of everybody with you.
It's going to be you and youhave to account for your dash.
Speaker 3 (47:42):
I teach my kids that I'm like when I stand up there,
my husband won't be standingbeside me, and when he asks
what's my works, he's talkingabout my works.
He's not talking about yourworks.
He's not talking about yourworks, he's not talking about
your dad's works.
So you have to realize, is thepath that you go down, the
legacy that you build, you haveto realize that there will be a
(48:04):
day of judgment and are yougoing to be able to say you know
, I've done, I did all I coulddo to make a difference and what
I had.
And so that's where thecollective I do understand some
people can do that, but somepeople need individual identity.
(48:24):
Right, you know, and peopletalk about your dash, right?
Speaker 1 (48:28):
Yes.
Speaker 4 (48:28):
On your tombstone right.
You got your birth date and yougot your death date and there's
a dash right, and really themeaningful part is the dash,
because that's what's happenedbetween the time that you were
born and the time that you died.
And how are you going to makethat meaningful?
And that's why I think I do thework that I do and hire it,
that's why I do the work that Ido in the community, that's why
(48:48):
I try to give back so much.
It's because it's important.
But somebody did it for me,right?
People?
Speaker 3 (48:57):
did that for me and I want to pay it for.
Yeah, and that's what you'resupposed to do.
You know, I'll tell you viewersoff camera.
I was telling Sharon with himand a lot of y'all already know
about David's walk with hisillness, and Tybee didn't know
that, and Sharonaron, and thefirst thing was, oh wow, how
(49:17):
good god is and how he restoredhim.
You know, um, I'm so glad thatgod gave us a second chance so
it wouldn't be a dash.
Yet you see what I'm saying,because we're gonna go somewhere
, somewhere, one day but whatare you doing to make a
difference in your life andwhere are you?
Are you coming outside of youand just your family?
(49:40):
Because you can't just do foryou and your family, it has to
be your community.
Speaker 4 (49:49):
What people have to understand is it doesn't have to
be something so grand.
Speaker 2 (49:53):
It doesn't.
People often think, well, Ican't have to be something so
grand it doesn't Right.
Speaker 4 (49:55):
You know, people often think well, I can't do
what such and such does, or Ican't do what they do, and
nobody's called you to beanybody but you, and you bloom
where you were planted, you do.
Speaker 3 (50:07):
You do, and there's some people that are supposed to
be on the front line and thenthere's some people that is on
the back line, but it doesn'tmean that one's better than the
other, because we all worktogether for the good and it may
shift and it may shift.
Speaker 4 (50:21):
One day you may be at the front of the line you know,
and leading the next day, youmay be in the back of the line
listening there you go listening.
Yes, you have to listen and soI do think that I would
encourage listeners to just makean impact, whatever, how big or
small you think it might be.
Make an impact.
Speaker 3 (50:40):
Yeah, and you have to realize is making a difference.
If you make a difference insomeone's life, that's not in
vain, that's you made adifference.
Ok, if somebody else goes overand does a great event and it
covers a group of people, that'sgreat.
But that doesn't minimize whatanother person did for one
(51:02):
individual.
Speaker 4 (51:13):
One individual.
When you look back at your timehere of Knoxville and I don't
know what success looks like,but I know that I just wanted to
make an impact and the workthat we did there and the
changes that we made there.
We now have the new broadbandnow and we have a process to
(51:37):
provide access to low-incomecommunities right, low-income
families, you know, through theschool system.
When I think about the hundredsand hundreds of kids who come
through NAS over my years thereand the impact that we've made
with those young people there,and the impact that we've made
with those young people, when Ithink about the work that I did
(51:58):
with Big Brothers, big Sistersand my littles and then serving
on that board, when I look backat all of those kinds of things,
I just want people to say thatI made a difference and made an
impact with what I had and whatI was given.
And then the last thing I'llsay is my faith is super
important and so you know, I'm amember of Overcome, a
(52:19):
Believer's Church, obc, withPastor Darrell Arnold and he's
amazing.
And through our church.
One of the things that we talkabout is we are the community's
church, our physical building isthe community's building, and
that we just want to make surethat we position ourselves so
that we can impact ourcommunities and change lives.
Because, really, if it boileddown to two things, I would say
(52:42):
impacting communities andchanging lives.
Speaker 3 (52:45):
You know one of the big thing and shout out to
Pastor Arnold, because I knowhe's from Chattanooga, because I
know he's from Chattanooga andI remember when he moved here
and what God did in him and thegrowth he did in seven years.
I mean it was impeccable, stillimpeccable and he still keeps
(53:05):
going, you know, and giving somany young people opportunity
and just giving back, loving onthe community.
So shout out to Pastor Arnold.
So to wrap this up, if you hadto pitch right now University of
Tennessee and why someoneshould go to University of
(53:29):
Tennessee, what would be yoursales pitch?
Speaker 4 (53:31):
What would be your sales pitch?
I would say it's a place thatprovides access, that you're
going to feel like you matterand you belong, that you're
going to be in a place that hasa culture of respect and that
you can build community.
And I would say that you willalso find that in Knoxville,
because you can't separate thetwo.
There will be people who wantyou to succeed.
(53:53):
There will be people who willbe in your corner, who will be
your champions for anything thatyou want to do.
That will help you get towardssuccess, because when you look
at universities across thecountry I said this earlier
they're all the same.
When you close your eyes, whatmakes a difference is the people
, and I think the people here atthe University of Tennessee and
I think the people here in theUniversity of Tennessee and I
(54:14):
think the people here in thecity of Knoxville.
I will hold them up to anybodyacross the country.
Speaker 3 (54:20):
He said open your eyes and see a volunteer, and
you done seen something.
Speaker 4 (54:23):
You done seen something.
Yes, so that's what I would sayto people.
Speaker 3 (54:28):
That would be if they wanted to come to University of
Tennessee.
Last question what's next?
What's next for?
Speaker 4 (54:34):
Thomas Small?
I don't know.
Speaker 3 (54:35):
I don't know what I want to be when I grow up.
Speaker 4 (54:38):
I'm still trying to figure that out.
I'm still figuring it out.
I will let you know.
I just want to make adifference, I just want to make
an impact and I just want to.
I want to use my dash to reallyhelp, help, help, help our
world, and I don't know whatthat would be.
We're doing a lot ofinternational stuff here at UT
now.
I talked about the work we'redoing in Rwanda and in South
(54:59):
Africa and in Japan and inPuerto Rico, and we're taking
students to these places and itis really just opening their
eyes about what they could doand the impact they can make in
the world.
And so I just want to continueto do that.
As long as I'm having fun, aslong as my cup is still being
filled, and as long as I feellike I'm making a difference and
making an impact, then I'llcontinue to do this, that or
(55:22):
until Tammy tells me I'm goingto do something else.
Speaker 2 (55:25):
You know, that's boss , lady, that's boss lady.
Speaker 3 (55:27):
This.
Tammy, shout out to Tammy, yeah, shout out.
I thank you for sitting downwith me and having a
conversation and tackling sometough subjects and just giving
people hope and giving thempromise and saying University of
Tennessee is the only one.
Speaker 4 (55:44):
Absolutely Go, vols Go.
Speaker 3 (55:46):
Vols Tune in every Friday to Talk in Tennessee.
Bye guys.
Speaker 4 (55:50):
See ya.
Speaker 1 (55:54):
Thanks for listening to Talk in Tennessee with Yvonca
.
Watch out for our weeklyepisodes from the First Family
of Real Estate and check us outon the web
wwwyvoncasalesrealestatecom.
See our videos on Yvonca'sYouTube channel or find us on
Facebook under Yvonca Landis andTwitter at Yvonca Landis, and
(56:17):
don't forget to tell a friendabout us.
Until next time.
Yvonca signing off.
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