Alex Stovall

Alex Stovall, ‘23, a biology major with a concentration in cellular and molecular biology from McMinnville, came to Tennessee Tech University for an academic education, but he has also learned “values that are life long and will bring success with the right work ethic alongside it” through his experiences at the university.

“Being a part of Dr. Carrick's research group has done more for me than just learning how to do chemistry. It taught me how to be a leader, take responsibility, and work with others in a team,” Stovall said. 

Stovall chose to come Tech because he said he loves the community of Cookeville and it has always felt like home. He lived in Cookeville during his elementary and middle school days.

“I grew up in a great community that was and still is family to me,” Stovall said. 

For Stovall, the rewarding part of his experience at Tech has been connecting with other like-minded people. The research he has been working on has taught him perseverance in the face of failure. There is a lot of failure in organic synthesis, but it teaches one to “fail forward,” he said. 

“Each failure is just another data point to steer you towards success and that lesson will stick with me forever,” Stovall said. 

According to Stovall, at Tech one can find those that want to be better, and engaging in research has been an avenue for him to find those people. 

“Tech has empowered me to be able to reach beyond what I imagined I would get out of college,” Stovall said.