Tanner Pittmon

My name is Tanner Pittmon and my major is Mechanical Engineering.

When I graduated from high school, I was done with school. I had a successful high school career but I was ready to do something else and didn’t see the value in learning anything new. I was working for Jr. Motorsports at the time and figured a job in racing would be my future. That changed when Dale Jr. asked me my plans after high school. He wasn’t pleased when I told him that I didn’t want to continue my education. He reminded me that even he got a degree here at Mitchell. He told me that if I continued my education that he would always have my back;otherwise I was on my own.

I decided to attend Mitchell Community College because it was close to home, was affordable since I was paying for my education, and I could also continue working. I quickly found out that Mitchell was much different than high school. I was able to take classes that were interesting to me and also able to set my own course schedule. While obtaining my associates degree, I learned many new programs and skills. The best part is that these are skills that I will most definitely utilize in the future. I learned how to use design and modeling programs and gained a better understanding of how everyday items are made.

One of my favorite courses was welding. I was able to design, build and repair many items. My instructors were extremely helpful and dedicated to my success. Mitchell has put together a great group of instructors that are willing to help you in anyway they can. They want to see you succeed and they are willing to help you one on one and even outside of class time. That was a big help for me and now I’m graduating Mitchell knowing I have made friendships along the way.

Because of the exposure I gained at Mitchell, I have decided to continue my education once again and transfer my credits to Appalachian State University. I have decided to obtain a bachelor’s degree in Industrial Design. This will give me the hands on experience that I love and I will be able to see my ideas come to life. I’m the guy who didn’t want to go to school after graduation from high school, but Mitchell Community College has inspired me to continue my education even further and to obtain a bachelor’s degree. I’m now excited about learning and my future!

–Tanner Pittman