About Tennessee State University
Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University is Nashvilleโs only public university, and is a premier, historically black university and land-grant institution offering 39 bachelorโs degree programs, 24 masterโs degree programs, and seven doctoral degrees. TSU is a comprehensive research intensive institution with a R-2 Carnegie designation, and has a graduate school on its downtown Avon Williams Campus, along with the Otis Floyd Nursery Research Center in McMinnville, Tennessee. With a commitment to excellence, Tennessee State University provides students with a quality education in a nurturing and innovative environment that prepares them as alumni to be global leaders in every facet of society. Visit the University online at tnstate.edu.
For more information about TSUโs College of Agriculture, visit https:/www.tnstate.edu/agriculture/
For more about community college initiatives at TSU, visit https:/www.tnstate.edu/commcolleges/
About Tennessee State University
Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University is Nashvilleโs only public university, and is a premier, historically black university and land-grant institution offering 39 bachelorโs degree programs, 24 masterโs degree programs, and seven doctoral degrees. TSU is a comprehensive research intensive institution with a R-2 Carnegie designation, and has a graduate school on its downtown Avon Williams Campus, along with the Otis Floyd Nursery Research Center in McMinnville, Tennessee. With a commitment to excellence, Tennessee State University provides students with a quality education in a nurturing and innovative environment that prepares them as alumni to be global leaders in every facet of society. Visit the University online at tnstate.edu.
โNashville State should be our pipeline,โ says Peters. โThe majority of the students that leave Nashville State should be coming here, or considering us, particularly if they live in Davidson County.โ
For more information about TSUโs College of Agriculture, visit https:/www.tnstate.edu/agriculture/
For more about community college initiatives at TSU, visit https:/www.tnstate.edu/commcolleges/
About Tennessee State University
Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University is Nashvilleโs only public university, and is a premier, historically black university and land-grant institution offering 39 bachelorโs degree programs, 24 masterโs degree programs, and seven doctoral degrees. TSU is a comprehensive research intensive institution with a R-2 Carnegie designation, and has a graduate school on its downtown Avon Williams Campus, along with the Otis Floyd Nursery Research Center in McMinnville, Tennessee. With a commitment to excellence, Tennessee State University provides students with a quality education in a nurturing and innovative environment that prepares them as alumni to be global leaders in every facet of society. Visit the University online at tnstate.edu.
Dr. Sharon Peters, executive director of community college initiatives at TSU, says students at Nashville State continue to be on TSUโs radar.
โNashville State should be our pipeline,โ says Peters. โThe majority of the students that leave Nashville State should be coming here, or considering us, particularly if they live in Davidson County.โ
For more information about TSUโs College of Agriculture, visit https:/www.tnstate.edu/agriculture/
For more about community college initiatives at TSU, visit https:/www.tnstate.edu/commcolleges/
About Tennessee State University
Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University is Nashvilleโs only public university, and is a premier, historically black university and land-grant institution offering 39 bachelorโs degree programs, 24 masterโs degree programs, and seven doctoral degrees. TSU is a comprehensive research intensive institution with a R-2 Carnegie designation, and has a graduate school on its downtown Avon Williams Campus, along with the Otis Floyd Nursery Research Center in McMinnville, Tennessee. With a commitment to excellence, Tennessee State University provides students with a quality education in a nurturing and innovative environment that prepares them as alumni to be global leaders in every facet of society. Visit the University online at tnstate.edu.
Since then, the Tennessee Board of Regents instituted the Tennessee Transfer Pathways program, which superseded DAAs and provided guarantees to community college graduates statewide.
Dr. Sharon Peters, executive director of community college initiatives at TSU, says students at Nashville State continue to be on TSUโs radar.
โNashville State should be our pipeline,โ says Peters. โThe majority of the students that leave Nashville State should be coming here, or considering us, particularly if they live in Davidson County.โ
For more information about TSUโs College of Agriculture, visit https:/www.tnstate.edu/agriculture/
For more about community college initiatives at TSU, visit https:/www.tnstate.edu/commcolleges/
About Tennessee State University
Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University is Nashvilleโs only public university, and is a premier, historically black university and land-grant institution offering 39 bachelorโs degree programs, 24 masterโs degree programs, and seven doctoral degrees. TSU is a comprehensive research intensive institution with a R-2 Carnegie designation, and has a graduate school on its downtown Avon Williams Campus, along with the Otis Floyd Nursery Research Center in McMinnville, Tennessee. With a commitment to excellence, Tennessee State University provides students with a quality education in a nurturing and innovative environment that prepares them as alumni to be global leaders in every facet of society. Visit the University online at tnstate.edu.
In 2009, Nashville State Community College and TSU formed a Dual Admission Agreement. It provided certain guarantees to students who committed to TSU early in their community college matriculation, such as priority advising and registration, as well as access to TSUโs campus.
Since then, the Tennessee Board of Regents instituted the Tennessee Transfer Pathways program, which superseded DAAs and provided guarantees to community college graduates statewide.
Dr. Sharon Peters, executive director of community college initiatives at TSU, says students at Nashville State continue to be on TSUโs radar.
โNashville State should be our pipeline,โ says Peters. โThe majority of the students that leave Nashville State should be coming here, or considering us, particularly if they live in Davidson County.โ
For more information about TSUโs College of Agriculture, visit https:/www.tnstate.edu/agriculture/
For more about community college initiatives at TSU, visit https:/www.tnstate.edu/commcolleges/
About Tennessee State University
Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University is Nashvilleโs only public university, and is a premier, historically black university and land-grant institution offering 39 bachelorโs degree programs, 24 masterโs degree programs, and seven doctoral degrees. TSU is a comprehensive research intensive institution with a R-2 Carnegie designation, and has a graduate school on its downtown Avon Williams Campus, along with the Otis Floyd Nursery Research Center in McMinnville, Tennessee. With a commitment to excellence, Tennessee State University provides students with a quality education in a nurturing and innovative environment that prepares them as alumni to be global leaders in every facet of society. Visit the University online at tnstate.edu.
โAs a student, was very active and passionate about her program,โ says Reddy. โShe is also typical of our agricultural education graduates who have been getting very high scores on the state education exams and are doing extremely well as teachers and leaders in the communities they serve.โ
In 2009, Nashville State Community College and TSU formed a Dual Admission Agreement. It provided certain guarantees to students who committed to TSU early in their community college matriculation, such as priority advising and registration, as well as access to TSUโs campus.
Since then, the Tennessee Board of Regents instituted the Tennessee Transfer Pathways program, which superseded DAAs and provided guarantees to community college graduates statewide.
Dr. Sharon Peters, executive director of community college initiatives at TSU, says students at Nashville State continue to be on TSUโs radar.
โNashville State should be our pipeline,โ says Peters. โThe majority of the students that leave Nashville State should be coming here, or considering us, particularly if they live in Davidson County.โ
For more information about TSUโs College of Agriculture, visit https:/www.tnstate.edu/agriculture/
For more about community college initiatives at TSU, visit https:/www.tnstate.edu/commcolleges/
About Tennessee State University
Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University is Nashvilleโs only public university, and is a premier, historically black university and land-grant institution offering 39 bachelorโs degree programs, 24 masterโs degree programs, and seven doctoral degrees. TSU is a comprehensive research intensive institution with a R-2 Carnegie designation, and has a graduate school on its downtown Avon Williams Campus, along with the Otis Floyd Nursery Research Center in McMinnville, Tennessee. With a commitment to excellence, Tennessee State University provides students with a quality education in a nurturing and innovative environment that prepares them as alumni to be global leaders in every facet of society. Visit the University online at tnstate.edu.
โAs a student, was very active and passionate about her program,โ says Reddy. โShe is also typical of our agricultural education graduates who have been getting very high scores on the state education exams and are doing extremely well as teachers and leaders in the communities they serve.โ
In 2009, Nashville State Community College and TSU formed a Dual Admission Agreement. It provided certain guarantees to students who committed to TSU early in their community college matriculation, such as priority advising and registration, as well as access to TSUโs campus.
Since then, the Tennessee Board of Regents instituted the Tennessee Transfer Pathways program, which superseded DAAs and provided guarantees to community college graduates statewide.
Dr. Sharon Peters, executive director of community college initiatives at TSU, says students at Nashville State continue to be on TSUโs radar.
โNashville State should be our pipeline,โ says Peters. โThe majority of the students that leave Nashville State should be coming here, or considering us, particularly if they live in Davidson County.โ
For more information about TSUโs College of Agriculture, visit https:/www.tnstate.edu/agriculture/
For more about community college initiatives at TSU, visit https:/www.tnstate.edu/commcolleges/
About Tennessee State University
Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University is Nashvilleโs only public university, and is a premier, historically black university and land-grant institution offering 39 bachelorโs degree programs, 24 masterโs degree programs, and seven doctoral degrees. TSU is a comprehensive research intensive institution with a R-2 Carnegie designation, and has a graduate school on its downtown Avon Williams Campus, along with the Otis Floyd Nursery Research Center in McMinnville, Tennessee. With a commitment to excellence, Tennessee State University provides students with a quality education in a nurturing and innovative environment that prepares them as alumni to be global leaders in every facet of society. Visit the University online at tnstate.edu.
โShe was extremely motivated as a student; โs incredibly brilliant too,โ says Ricketts of Charlton, whose concentration was in agricultural education. โWhen went to Whites Creek, we knew that they had a home run. And frankly, itโs a home run for TSU because โll be sharing the good word about Big Blue.โ
Dr. Chandra Reddy, dean of TSUโs College of Agriculture, agrees.

โAs a student, was very active and passionate about her program,โ says Reddy. โShe is also typical of our agricultural education graduates who have been getting very high scores on the state education exams and are doing extremely well as teachers and leaders in the communities they serve.โ
In 2009, Nashville State Community College and TSU formed a Dual Admission Agreement. It provided certain guarantees to students who committed to TSU early in their community college matriculation, such as priority advising and registration, as well as access to TSUโs campus.
Since then, the Tennessee Board of Regents instituted the Tennessee Transfer Pathways program, which superseded DAAs and provided guarantees to community college graduates statewide.
Dr. Sharon Peters, executive director of community college initiatives at TSU, says students at Nashville State continue to be on TSUโs radar.
โNashville State should be our pipeline,โ says Peters. โThe majority of the students that leave Nashville State should be coming here, or considering us, particularly if they live in Davidson County.โ
For more information about TSUโs College of Agriculture, visit https:/www.tnstate.edu/agriculture/
For more about community college initiatives at TSU, visit https:/www.tnstate.edu/commcolleges/
About Tennessee State University
Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University is Nashvilleโs only public university, and is a premier, historically black university and land-grant institution offering 39 bachelorโs degree programs, 24 masterโs degree programs, and seven doctoral degrees. TSU is a comprehensive research intensive institution with a R-2 Carnegie designation, and has a graduate school on its downtown Avon Williams Campus, along with the Otis Floyd Nursery Research Center in McMinnville, Tennessee. With a commitment to excellence, Tennessee State University provides students with a quality education in a nurturing and innovative environment that prepares them as alumni to be global leaders in every facet of society. Visit the University online at tnstate.edu.
Dr. John Ricketts is an Ag professor and extension specialist at TSU who encouraged Charlton to transfer to the university and major in agriculture when was at Nashville State Community College. He says heโs not surprised at the success โs having after just one year of teaching.
โShe was extremely motivated as a student; โs incredibly brilliant too,โ says Ricketts of Charlton, whose concentration was in agricultural education. โWhen went to Whites Creek, we knew that they had a home run. And frankly, itโs a home run for TSU because โll be sharing the good word about Big Blue.โ
Dr. Chandra Reddy, dean of TSUโs College of Agriculture, agrees.

โAs a student, was very active and passionate about her program,โ says Reddy. โShe is also typical of our agricultural education graduates who have been getting very high scores on the state education exams and are doing extremely well as teachers and leaders in the communities they serve.โ
In 2009, Nashville State Community College and TSU formed a Dual Admission Agreement. It provided certain guarantees to students who committed to TSU early in their community college matriculation, such as priority advising and registration, as well as access to TSUโs campus.
Since then, the Tennessee Board of Regents instituted the Tennessee Transfer Pathways program, which superseded DAAs and provided guarantees to community college graduates statewide.
Dr. Sharon Peters, executive director of community college initiatives at TSU, says students at Nashville State continue to be on TSUโs radar.
โNashville State should be our pipeline,โ says Peters. โThe majority of the students that leave Nashville State should be coming here, or considering us, particularly if they live in Davidson County.โ
For more information about TSUโs College of Agriculture, visit https:/www.tnstate.edu/agriculture/
For more about community college initiatives at TSU, visit https:/www.tnstate.edu/commcolleges/
About Tennessee State University
Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University is Nashvilleโs only public university, and is a premier, historically black university and land-grant institution offering 39 bachelorโs degree programs, 24 masterโs degree programs, and seven doctoral degrees. TSU is a comprehensive research intensive institution with a R-2 Carnegie designation, and has a graduate school on its downtown Avon Williams Campus, along with the Otis Floyd Nursery Research Center in McMinnville, Tennessee. With a commitment to excellence, Tennessee State University provides students with a quality education in a nurturing and innovative environment that prepares them as alumni to be global leaders in every facet of society. Visit the University online at tnstate.edu.
โIโve really been trying to connect my students with TSU as much as possible,โ says Charlton, who graduated from TSU last year with a degree in agricultural sciences. โI have four students this year who are going to TSU to major in some form of agriculture.โ
Dr. John Ricketts is an Ag professor and extension specialist at TSU who encouraged Charlton to transfer to the university and major in agriculture when was at Nashville State Community College. He says heโs not surprised at the success โs having after just one year of teaching.
โShe was extremely motivated as a student; โs incredibly brilliant too,โ says Ricketts of Charlton, whose concentration was in agricultural education. โWhen went to Whites Creek, we knew that they had a home run. And frankly, itโs a home run for TSU because โll be sharing the good word about Big Blue.โ
Dr. Chandra Reddy, dean of TSUโs College of Agriculture, agrees.

โAs a student, was very active and passionate about her program,โ says Reddy. โShe is also typical of our agricultural education graduates who have been getting very high scores on the state education exams and are doing extremely well as teachers and leaders in the communities they serve.โ
In 2009, Nashville State Community College and TSU formed a Dual Admission Agreement. It provided certain guarantees to students who committed to TSU early in their community college matriculation, such as priority advising and registration, as well as access to TSUโs campus.
Since then, the Tennessee Board of Regents instituted the Tennessee Transfer Pathways program, which superseded DAAs and provided guarantees to community college graduates statewide.
Dr. Sharon Peters, executive director of community college initiatives at TSU, says students at Nashville State continue to be on TSUโs radar.
โNashville State should be our pipeline,โ says Peters. โThe majority of the students that leave Nashville State should be coming here, or considering us, particularly if they live in Davidson County.โ
For more information about TSUโs College of Agriculture, visit https:/www.tnstate.edu/agriculture/
For more about community college initiatives at TSU, visit https:/www.tnstate.edu/commcolleges/
About Tennessee State University
Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University is Nashvilleโs only public university, and is a premier, historically black university and land-grant institution offering 39 bachelorโs degree programs, 24 masterโs degree programs, and seven doctoral degrees. TSU is a comprehensive research intensive institution with a R-2 Carnegie designation, and has a graduate school on its downtown Avon Williams Campus, along with the Otis Floyd Nursery Research Center in McMinnville, Tennessee. With a commitment to excellence, Tennessee State University provides students with a quality education in a nurturing and innovative environment that prepares them as alumni to be global leaders in every facet of society. Visit the University online at tnstate.edu.
While โs thrilled to be nationally recognized by Amazon, Charlton says โs even more excited about the number of students โs convinced to attend TSU in just her first year of being a teacher.
โIโve really been trying to connect my students with TSU as much as possible,โ says Charlton, who graduated from TSU last year with a degree in agricultural sciences. โI have four students this year who are going to TSU to major in some form of agriculture.โ
Dr. John Ricketts is an Ag professor and extension specialist at TSU who encouraged Charlton to transfer to the university and major in agriculture when was at Nashville State Community College. He says heโs not surprised at the success โs having after just one year of teaching.
โShe was extremely motivated as a student; โs incredibly brilliant too,โ says Ricketts of Charlton, whose concentration was in agricultural education. โWhen went to Whites Creek, we knew that they had a home run. And frankly, itโs a home run for TSU because โll be sharing the good word about Big Blue.โ
Dr. Chandra Reddy, dean of TSUโs College of Agriculture, agrees.

โAs a student, was very active and passionate about her program,โ says Reddy. โShe is also typical of our agricultural education graduates who have been getting very high scores on the state education exams and are doing extremely well as teachers and leaders in the communities they serve.โ
In 2009, Nashville State Community College and TSU formed a Dual Admission Agreement. It provided certain guarantees to students who committed to TSU early in their community college matriculation, such as priority advising and registration, as well as access to TSUโs campus.
Since then, the Tennessee Board of Regents instituted the Tennessee Transfer Pathways program, which superseded DAAs and provided guarantees to community college graduates statewide.
Dr. Sharon Peters, executive director of community college initiatives at TSU, says students at Nashville State continue to be on TSUโs radar.
โNashville State should be our pipeline,โ says Peters. โThe majority of the students that leave Nashville State should be coming here, or considering us, particularly if they live in Davidson County.โ
For more information about TSUโs College of Agriculture, visit https:/www.tnstate.edu/agriculture/
For more about community college initiatives at TSU, visit https:/www.tnstate.edu/commcolleges/
About Tennessee State University
Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University is Nashvilleโs only public university, and is a premier, historically black university and land-grant institution offering 39 bachelorโs degree programs, 24 masterโs degree programs, and seven doctoral degrees. TSU is a comprehensive research intensive institution with a R-2 Carnegie designation, and has a graduate school on its downtown Avon Williams Campus, along with the Otis Floyd Nursery Research Center in McMinnville, Tennessee. With a commitment to excellence, Tennessee State University provides students with a quality education in a nurturing and innovative environment that prepares them as alumni to be global leaders in every facet of society. Visit the University online at tnstate.edu.
Amazon award recipients were chosen based on a variety of criteria, which included their commitment to promoting diversity and inclusion within computer science education, a recommendation from a school administrator, and compelling, personal anecdotes about their school and students.
While โs thrilled to be nationally recognized by Amazon, Charlton says โs even more excited about the number of students โs convinced to attend TSU in just her first year of being a teacher.
โIโve really been trying to connect my students with TSU as much as possible,โ says Charlton, who graduated from TSU last year with a degree in agricultural sciences. โI have four students this year who are going to TSU to major in some form of agriculture.โ
Dr. John Ricketts is an Ag professor and extension specialist at TSU who encouraged Charlton to transfer to the university and major in agriculture when was at Nashville State Community College. He says heโs not surprised at the success โs having after just one year of teaching.
โShe was extremely motivated as a student; โs incredibly brilliant too,โ says Ricketts of Charlton, whose concentration was in agricultural education. โWhen went to Whites Creek, we knew that they had a home run. And frankly, itโs a home run for TSU because โll be sharing the good word about Big Blue.โ
Dr. Chandra Reddy, dean of TSUโs College of Agriculture, agrees.

โAs a student, was very active and passionate about her program,โ says Reddy. โShe is also typical of our agricultural education graduates who have been getting very high scores on the state education exams and are doing extremely well as teachers and leaders in the communities they serve.โ
In 2009, Nashville State Community College and TSU formed a Dual Admission Agreement. It provided certain guarantees to students who committed to TSU early in their community college matriculation, such as priority advising and registration, as well as access to TSUโs campus.
Since then, the Tennessee Board of Regents instituted the Tennessee Transfer Pathways program, which superseded DAAs and provided guarantees to community college graduates statewide.
Dr. Sharon Peters, executive director of community college initiatives at TSU, says students at Nashville State continue to be on TSUโs radar.
โNashville State should be our pipeline,โ says Peters. โThe majority of the students that leave Nashville State should be coming here, or considering us, particularly if they live in Davidson County.โ
For more information about TSUโs College of Agriculture, visit https:/www.tnstate.edu/agriculture/
For more about community college initiatives at TSU, visit https:/www.tnstate.edu/commcolleges/
About Tennessee State University
Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University is Nashvilleโs only public university, and is a premier, historically black university and land-grant institution offering 39 bachelorโs degree programs, 24 masterโs degree programs, and seven doctoral degrees. TSU is a comprehensive research intensive institution with a R-2 Carnegie designation, and has a graduate school on its downtown Avon Williams Campus, along with the Otis Floyd Nursery Research Center in McMinnville, Tennessee. With a commitment to excellence, Tennessee State University provides students with a quality education in a nurturing and innovative environment that prepares them as alumni to be global leaders in every facet of society. Visit the University online at tnstate.edu.
โI donโt have a computer science degree, but I went home and I buried myself in YouTube videos and read every book that I could get my hands on to make this happen for them,โ recalls Charlton, who also convinced the students to start a Robotics Club. โIn about six months we had a fully working coded robot, and we actually ended up winning third in the state competition. I could have easily just said no, but instead, me and my students said we were going to buckle down and figure it out.โ
Amazon award recipients were chosen based on a variety of criteria, which included their commitment to promoting diversity and inclusion within computer science education, a recommendation from a school administrator, and compelling, personal anecdotes about their school and students.
While โs thrilled to be nationally recognized by Amazon, Charlton says โs even more excited about the number of students โs convinced to attend TSU in just her first year of being a teacher.
โIโve really been trying to connect my students with TSU as much as possible,โ says Charlton, who graduated from TSU last year with a degree in agricultural sciences. โI have four students this year who are going to TSU to major in some form of agriculture.โ
Dr. John Ricketts is an Ag professor and extension specialist at TSU who encouraged Charlton to transfer to the university and major in agriculture when was at Nashville State Community College. He says heโs not surprised at the success โs having after just one year of teaching.
โShe was extremely motivated as a student; โs incredibly brilliant too,โ says Ricketts of Charlton, whose concentration was in agricultural education. โWhen went to Whites Creek, we knew that they had a home run. And frankly, itโs a home run for TSU because โll be sharing the good word about Big Blue.โ
Dr. Chandra Reddy, dean of TSUโs College of Agriculture, agrees.

โAs a student, was very active and passionate about her program,โ says Reddy. โShe is also typical of our agricultural education graduates who have been getting very high scores on the state education exams and are doing extremely well as teachers and leaders in the communities they serve.โ
In 2009, Nashville State Community College and TSU formed a Dual Admission Agreement. It provided certain guarantees to students who committed to TSU early in their community college matriculation, such as priority advising and registration, as well as access to TSUโs campus.
Since then, the Tennessee Board of Regents instituted the Tennessee Transfer Pathways program, which superseded DAAs and provided guarantees to community college graduates statewide.
Dr. Sharon Peters, executive director of community college initiatives at TSU, says students at Nashville State continue to be on TSUโs radar.
โNashville State should be our pipeline,โ says Peters. โThe majority of the students that leave Nashville State should be coming here, or considering us, particularly if they live in Davidson County.โ
For more information about TSUโs College of Agriculture, visit https:/www.tnstate.edu/agriculture/
For more about community college initiatives at TSU, visit https:/www.tnstate.edu/commcolleges/
About Tennessee State University
Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University is Nashvilleโs only public university, and is a premier, historically black university and land-grant institution offering 39 bachelorโs degree programs, 24 masterโs degree programs, and seven doctoral degrees. TSU is a comprehensive research intensive institution with a R-2 Carnegie designation, and has a graduate school on its downtown Avon Williams Campus, along with the Otis Floyd Nursery Research Center in McMinnville, Tennessee. With a commitment to excellence, Tennessee State University provides students with a quality education in a nurturing and innovative environment that prepares them as alumni to be global leaders in every facet of society. Visit the University online at tnstate.edu.
Charltonโs ability to relate to students helped get the attention of Amazon. When her school presented and her students with the challenge of building and coding a robot, they did not back away.
โI donโt have a computer science degree, but I went home and I buried myself in YouTube videos and read every book that I could get my hands on to make this happen for them,โ recalls Charlton, who also convinced the students to start a Robotics Club. โIn about six months we had a fully working coded robot, and we actually ended up winning third in the state competition. I could have easily just said no, but instead, me and my students said we were going to buckle down and figure it out.โ
Amazon award recipients were chosen based on a variety of criteria, which included their commitment to promoting diversity and inclusion within computer science education, a recommendation from a school administrator, and compelling, personal anecdotes about their school and students.
While โs thrilled to be nationally recognized by Amazon, Charlton says โs even more excited about the number of students โs convinced to attend TSU in just her first year of being a teacher.
โIโve really been trying to connect my students with TSU as much as possible,โ says Charlton, who graduated from TSU last year with a degree in agricultural sciences. โI have four students this year who are going to TSU to major in some form of agriculture.โ
Dr. John Ricketts is an Ag professor and extension specialist at TSU who encouraged Charlton to transfer to the university and major in agriculture when was at Nashville State Community College. He says heโs not surprised at the success โs having after just one year of teaching.
โShe was extremely motivated as a student; โs incredibly brilliant too,โ says Ricketts of Charlton, whose concentration was in agricultural education. โWhen went to Whites Creek, we knew that they had a home run. And frankly, itโs a home run for TSU because โll be sharing the good word about Big Blue.โ
Dr. Chandra Reddy, dean of TSUโs College of Agriculture, agrees.

โAs a student, was very active and passionate about her program,โ says Reddy. โShe is also typical of our agricultural education graduates who have been getting very high scores on the state education exams and are doing extremely well as teachers and leaders in the communities they serve.โ
In 2009, Nashville State Community College and TSU formed a Dual Admission Agreement. It provided certain guarantees to students who committed to TSU early in their community college matriculation, such as priority advising and registration, as well as access to TSUโs campus.
Since then, the Tennessee Board of Regents instituted the Tennessee Transfer Pathways program, which superseded DAAs and provided guarantees to community college graduates statewide.
Dr. Sharon Peters, executive director of community college initiatives at TSU, says students at Nashville State continue to be on TSUโs radar.
โNashville State should be our pipeline,โ says Peters. โThe majority of the students that leave Nashville State should be coming here, or considering us, particularly if they live in Davidson County.โ
For more information about TSUโs College of Agriculture, visit https:/www.tnstate.edu/agriculture/
For more about community college initiatives at TSU, visit https:/www.tnstate.edu/commcolleges/
About Tennessee State University
Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University is Nashvilleโs only public university, and is a premier, historically black university and land-grant institution offering 39 bachelorโs degree programs, 24 masterโs degree programs, and seven doctoral degrees. TSU is a comprehensive research intensive institution with a R-2 Carnegie designation, and has a graduate school on its downtown Avon Williams Campus, along with the Otis Floyd Nursery Research Center in McMinnville, Tennessee. With a commitment to excellence, Tennessee State University provides students with a quality education in a nurturing and innovative environment that prepares them as alumni to be global leaders in every facet of society. Visit the University online at tnstate.edu.
Charlton, a computer science teacher and Robotics Club staffer at Whites Creek Comprehensive High School in Nashville, is a 2020 Amazon Future Engineer Teacher of the Year Award recipient. She is one of 10 individuals selected from among thousands of eligible teachers to receive the prestigious award, which includes $25,000 for the school and $25,000 in school supplies.
Charltonโs ability to relate to students helped get the attention of Amazon. When her school presented and her students with the challenge of building and coding a robot, they did not back away.
โI donโt have a computer science degree, but I went home and I buried myself in YouTube videos and read every book that I could get my hands on to make this happen for them,โ recalls Charlton, who also convinced the students to start a Robotics Club. โIn about six months we had a fully working coded robot, and we actually ended up winning third in the state competition. I could have easily just said no, but instead, me and my students said we were going to buckle down and figure it out.โ
Amazon award recipients were chosen based on a variety of criteria, which included their commitment to promoting diversity and inclusion within computer science education, a recommendation from a school administrator, and compelling, personal anecdotes about their school and students.
While โs thrilled to be nationally recognized by Amazon, Charlton says โs even more excited about the number of students โs convinced to attend TSU in just her first year of being a teacher.
โIโve really been trying to connect my students with TSU as much as possible,โ says Charlton, who graduated from TSU last year with a degree in agricultural sciences. โI have four students this year who are going to TSU to major in some form of agriculture.โ
Dr. John Ricketts is an Ag professor and extension specialist at TSU who encouraged Charlton to transfer to the university and major in agriculture when was at Nashville State Community College. He says heโs not surprised at the success โs having after just one year of teaching.
โShe was extremely motivated as a student; โs incredibly brilliant too,โ says Ricketts of Charlton, whose concentration was in agricultural education. โWhen went to Whites Creek, we knew that they had a home run. And frankly, itโs a home run for TSU because โll be sharing the good word about Big Blue.โ
Dr. Chandra Reddy, dean of TSUโs College of Agriculture, agrees.

โAs a student, was very active and passionate about her program,โ says Reddy. โShe is also typical of our agricultural education graduates who have been getting very high scores on the state education exams and are doing extremely well as teachers and leaders in the communities they serve.โ
In 2009, Nashville State Community College and TSU formed a Dual Admission Agreement. It provided certain guarantees to students who committed to TSU early in their community college matriculation, such as priority advising and registration, as well as access to TSUโs campus.
Since then, the Tennessee Board of Regents instituted the Tennessee Transfer Pathways program, which superseded DAAs and provided guarantees to community college graduates statewide.
Dr. Sharon Peters, executive director of community college initiatives at TSU, says students at Nashville State continue to be on TSUโs radar.
โNashville State should be our pipeline,โ says Peters. โThe majority of the students that leave Nashville State should be coming here, or considering us, particularly if they live in Davidson County.โ
For more information about TSUโs College of Agriculture, visit https:/www.tnstate.edu/agriculture/
For more about community college initiatives at TSU, visit https:/www.tnstate.edu/commcolleges/
About Tennessee State University
Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University is Nashvilleโs only public university, and is a premier, historically black university and land-grant institution offering 39 bachelorโs degree programs, 24 masterโs degree programs, and seven doctoral degrees. TSU is a comprehensive research intensive institution with a R-2 Carnegie designation, and has a graduate school on its downtown Avon Williams Campus, along with the Otis Floyd Nursery Research Center in McMinnville, Tennessee. With a commitment to excellence, Tennessee State University provides students with a quality education in a nurturing and innovative environment that prepares them as alumni to be global leaders in every facet of society. Visit the University online at tnstate.edu.
Charlton, a computer science teacher and Robotics Club staffer at Whites Creek Comprehensive High School in Nashville, is a 2020 Amazon Future Engineer Teacher of the Year Award recipient. She is one of 10 individuals selected from among thousands of eligible teachers to receive the prestigious award, which includes $25,000 for the school and $25,000 in school supplies.
Charltonโs ability to relate to students helped get the attention of Amazon. When her school presented and her students with the challenge of building and coding a robot, they did not back away.
โI donโt have a computer science degree, but I went home and I buried myself in YouTube videos and read every book that I could get my hands on to make this happen for them,โ recalls Charlton, who also convinced the students to start a Robotics Club. โIn about six months we had a fully working coded robot, and we actually ended up winning third in the state competition. I could have easily just said no, but instead, me and my students said we were going to buckle down and figure it out.โ
Amazon award recipients were chosen based on a variety of criteria, which included their commitment to promoting diversity and inclusion within computer science education, a recommendation from a school administrator, and compelling, personal anecdotes about their school and students.
While โs thrilled to be nationally recognized by Amazon, Charlton says โs even more excited about the number of students โs convinced to attend TSU in just her first year of being a teacher.
โIโve really been trying to connect my students with TSU as much as possible,โ says Charlton, who graduated from TSU last year with a degree in agricultural sciences. โI have four students this year who are going to TSU to major in some form of agriculture.โ
Dr. John Ricketts is an Ag professor and extension specialist at TSU who encouraged Charlton to transfer to the university and major in agriculture when was at Nashville State Community College. He says heโs not surprised at the success โs having after just one year of teaching.
โShe was extremely motivated as a student; โs incredibly brilliant too,โ says Ricketts of Charlton, whose concentration was in agricultural education. โWhen went to Whites Creek, we knew that they had a home run. And frankly, itโs a home run for TSU because โll be sharing the good word about Big Blue.โ
Dr. Chandra Reddy, dean of TSUโs College of Agriculture, agrees.

โAs a student, was very active and passionate about her program,โ says Reddy. โShe is also typical of our agricultural education graduates who have been getting very high scores on the state education exams and are doing extremely well as teachers and leaders in the communities they serve.โ
In 2009, Nashville State Community College and TSU formed a Dual Admission Agreement. It provided certain guarantees to students who committed to TSU early in their community college matriculation, such as priority advising and registration, as well as access to TSUโs campus.
Since then, the Tennessee Board of Regents instituted the Tennessee Transfer Pathways program, which superseded DAAs and provided guarantees to community college graduates statewide.
Dr. Sharon Peters, executive director of community college initiatives at TSU, says students at Nashville State continue to be on TSUโs radar.
โNashville State should be our pipeline,โ says Peters. โThe majority of the students that leave Nashville State should be coming here, or considering us, particularly if they live in Davidson County.โ
For more information about TSUโs College of Agriculture, visit https:/www.tnstate.edu/agriculture/
For more about community college initiatives at TSU, visit https:/www.tnstate.edu/commcolleges/
About Tennessee State University
Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University is Nashvilleโs only public university, and is a premier, historically black university and land-grant institution offering 39 bachelorโs degree programs, 24 masterโs degree programs, and seven doctoral degrees. TSU is a comprehensive research intensive institution with a R-2 Carnegie designation, and has a graduate school on its downtown Avon Williams Campus, along with the Otis Floyd Nursery Research Center in McMinnville, Tennessee. With a commitment to excellence, Tennessee State University provides students with a quality education in a nurturing and innovative environment that prepares them as alumni to be global leaders in every facet of society. Visit the University online at tnstate.edu.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) โ Tennessee State University alumna Shasta Charlton didnโt know much about robots. But that didnโt stop the first-year teacher and her students from building and coding one, and winning $50,000 from Amazon.

Charlton, a computer science teacher and Robotics Club staffer at Whites Creek Comprehensive High School in Nashville, is a 2020 Amazon Future Engineer Teacher of the Year Award recipient. She is one of 10 individuals selected from among thousands of eligible teachers to receive the prestigious award, which includes $25,000 for the school and $25,000 in school supplies.
Charltonโs ability to relate to students helped get the attention of Amazon. When her school presented and her students with the challenge of building and coding a robot, they did not back away.
โI donโt have a computer science degree, but I went home and I buried myself in YouTube videos and read every book that I could get my hands on to make this happen for them,โ recalls Charlton, who also convinced the students to start a Robotics Club. โIn about six months we had a fully working coded robot, and we actually ended up winning third in the state competition. I could have easily just said no, but instead, me and my students said we were going to buckle down and figure it out.โ
Amazon award recipients were chosen based on a variety of criteria, which included their commitment to promoting diversity and inclusion within computer science education, a recommendation from a school administrator, and compelling, personal anecdotes about their school and students.
While โs thrilled to be nationally recognized by Amazon, Charlton says โs even more excited about the number of students โs convinced to attend TSU in just her first year of being a teacher.
โIโve really been trying to connect my students with TSU as much as possible,โ says Charlton, who graduated from TSU last year with a degree in agricultural sciences. โI have four students this year who are going to TSU to major in some form of agriculture.โ
Dr. John Ricketts is an Ag professor and extension specialist at TSU who encouraged Charlton to transfer to the university and major in agriculture when was at Nashville State Community College. He says heโs not surprised at the success โs having after just one year of teaching.
โShe was extremely motivated as a student; โs incredibly brilliant too,โ says Ricketts of Charlton, whose concentration was in agricultural education. โWhen went to Whites Creek, we knew that they had a home run. And frankly, itโs a home run for TSU because โll be sharing the good word about Big Blue.โ
Dr. Chandra Reddy, dean of TSUโs College of Agriculture, agrees.

โAs a student, was very active and passionate about her program,โ says Reddy. โShe is also typical of our agricultural education graduates who have been getting very high scores on the state education exams and are doing extremely well as teachers and leaders in the communities they serve.โ
In 2009, Nashville State Community College and TSU formed a Dual Admission Agreement. It provided certain guarantees to students who committed to TSU early in their community college matriculation, such as priority advising and registration, as well as access to TSUโs campus.
Since then, the Tennessee Board of Regents instituted the Tennessee Transfer Pathways program, which superseded DAAs and provided guarantees to community college graduates statewide.
Dr. Sharon Peters, executive director of community college initiatives at TSU, says students at Nashville State continue to be on TSUโs radar.
โNashville State should be our pipeline,โ says Peters. โThe majority of the students that leave Nashville State should be coming here, or considering us, particularly if they live in Davidson County.โ
For more information about TSUโs College of Agriculture, visit https:/www.tnstate.edu/agriculture/
For more about community college initiatives at TSU, visit https:/www.tnstate.edu/commcolleges/
About Tennessee State University
Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University is Nashvilleโs only public university, and is a premier, historically black university and land-grant institution offering 39 bachelorโs degree programs, 24 masterโs degree programs, and seven doctoral degrees. TSU is a comprehensive research intensive institution with a R-2 Carnegie designation, and has a graduate school on its downtown Avon Williams Campus, along with the Otis Floyd Nursery Research Center in McMinnville, Tennessee. With a commitment to excellence, Tennessee State University provides students with a quality education in a nurturing and innovative environment that prepares them as alumni to be global leaders in every facet of society. Visit the University online at tnstate.edu.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) โ Tennessee State University alumna Shasta Charlton didnโt know much about robots. But that didnโt stop the first-year teacher and her students from building and coding one, and winning $50,000 from Amazon.

Charlton, a computer science teacher and Robotics Club staffer at Whites Creek Comprehensive High School in Nashville, is a 2020 Amazon Future Engineer Teacher of the Year Award recipient. She is one of 10 individuals selected from among thousands of eligible teachers to receive the prestigious award, which includes $25,000 for the school and $25,000 in school supplies.
Charltonโs ability to relate to students helped get the attention of Amazon. When her school presented and her students with the challenge of building and coding a robot, they did not back away.
โI donโt have a computer science degree, but I went home and I buried myself in YouTube videos and read every book that I could get my hands on to make this happen for them,โ recalls Charlton, who also convinced the students to start a Robotics Club. โIn about six months we had a fully working coded robot, and we actually ended up winning third in the state competition. I could have easily just said no, but instead, me and my students said we were going to buckle down and figure it out.โ
Amazon award recipients were chosen based on a variety of criteria, which included their commitment to promoting diversity and inclusion within computer science education, a recommendation from a school administrator, and compelling, personal anecdotes about their school and students.
While โs thrilled to be nationally recognized by Amazon, Charlton says โs even more excited about the number of students โs convinced to attend TSU in just her first year of being a teacher.
โIโve really been trying to connect my students with TSU as much as possible,โ says Charlton, who graduated from TSU last year with a degree in agricultural sciences. โI have four students this year who are going to TSU to major in some form of agriculture.โ
Dr. John Ricketts is an Ag professor and extension specialist at TSU who encouraged Charlton to transfer to the university and major in agriculture when was at Nashville State Community College. He says heโs not surprised at the success โs having after just one year of teaching.
โShe was extremely motivated as a student; โs incredibly brilliant too,โ says Ricketts of Charlton, whose concentration was in agricultural education. โWhen went to Whites Creek, we knew that they had a home run. And frankly, itโs a home run for TSU because โll be sharing the good word about Big Blue.โ
Dr. Chandra Reddy, dean of TSUโs College of Agriculture, agrees.

โAs a student, was very active and passionate about her program,โ says Reddy. โShe is also typical of our agricultural education graduates who have been getting very high scores on the state education exams and are doing extremely well as teachers and leaders in the communities they serve.โ
In 2009, Nashville State Community College and TSU formed a Dual Admission Agreement. It provided certain guarantees to students who committed to TSU early in their community college matriculation, such as priority advising and registration, as well as access to TSUโs campus.
Since then, the Tennessee Board of Regents instituted the Tennessee Transfer Pathways program, which superseded DAAs and provided guarantees to community college graduates statewide.
Dr. Sharon Peters, executive director of community college initiatives at TSU, says students at Nashville State continue to be on TSUโs radar.
โNashville State should be our pipeline,โ says Peters. โThe majority of the students that leave Nashville State should be coming here, or considering us, particularly if they live in Davidson County.โ
For more information about TSUโs College of Agriculture, visit https:/www.tnstate.edu/agriculture/
For more about community college initiatives at TSU, visit https:/www.tnstate.edu/commcolleges/
About Tennessee State University
Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University is Nashvilleโs only public university, and is a premier, historically black university and land-grant institution offering 39 bachelorโs degree programs, 24 masterโs degree programs, and seven doctoral degrees. TSU is a comprehensive research intensive institution with a R-2 Carnegie designation, and has a graduate school on its downtown Avon Williams Campus, along with the Otis Floyd Nursery Research Center in McMinnville, Tennessee. With a commitment to excellence, Tennessee State University provides students with a quality education in a nurturing and innovative environment that prepares them as alumni to be global leaders in every facet of society. Visit the University online at tnstate.edu.