From SOAR to ‘I Do’: Tennessee Tech grads who met at freshman orientation tie the knot
Recent Tennessee Tech graduates Micah and Alyssa (Kitchen) Jones were married on June
5. The couple first met during the university’s “SOAR” freshman orientation. Photo
by Annie Graham Photography.
You never know who you’ll meet at SOAR, Tennessee Tech University’s summer orientation for incoming freshmen. Just ask Micah and Alyssa (Kitchen) Jones.
The couple, who both earned computer science degrees from Tech’s College of Engineering this spring, first met at SOAR in summer 2021. On June 5, they exchanged vows surrounded by family, friends and fellow Golden Eagles during a heartfelt ceremony and reception in Spring Hill, Tennessee.
Looking back on their time at Tech, the couple fondly recalls their first impressions of the campus and each other.
“I originally toured the campus during the fall of my senior year,” Micah said. “I fell in love with the place and the people. By the time I came back for SOAR, I was fully in.”
Alyssa added that Gerald Gannod, chair of Tech’s Department of Computer Science, played “a really big role” in her decision to attend.
Once the then-strangers committed to enrolling at Tech, both signed up for SOAR. As fate would have it, they landed in the same “tradition group”—a small group of new students who experience SOAR together.
They remember an icebreaker activity where each student had to describe themselves using an adjective that began with the same letter as their first name. Micah introduced himself as “musical Micah.”
“Alyssa thought it was really lame,” Micah said with a laugh.
“I thought it was funny!” Alyssa countered.
Though SOAR was their first meeting, their relationship blossomed during a freshman pre-calculus class. They bonded not only over their shared major, but also their shared faith.
Micah and Alyssa became active in the Baptist Collegiate Ministry (BCM), an off-campus organization where they co-led worship. They were also highly engaged in the Department of Computer Science’s programming and events.
Alyssa even worked with Gannod to develop the department’s house system, which sorts students into six “houses” named after famous computer scientists. The groups function as learning communities where students can find academic advising, peer mentoring, social activities and connection.
“They really do try to foster a sense of community,” Alyssa said of the department’s faculty and staff. “They work hard to help us feel welcome and part of something.”
Micah and Alyssa (Kitchen) Jones are pictured at the university’s spring 2025 commencement
ceremony on May 9. The couple both graduated with degrees from the university’s Department
of Computer Science.
The couple got engaged in November 2023, when Micah surprised Alyssa by proposing in Richmond, Virginia, where she had been visiting family.
“I literally had no idea!” Alyssa said. “I always told him I was too smart and would figure it out, but I was oblivious."
As the newlyweds reflect on the path that led to their nuptials, they say they are filled with gratitude to Tennessee Tech – and to a higher power – for helping them find each other.
“There’s absolutely no way that us meeting was a coincidence,” said Micah. “There are too many moving parts, too many different sections of classes and too many SOAR groups.”
“I’m very grateful,” Alyssa added. “Looking back on the past four years and how we’ve grown as a couple, Tennessee Tech and the Department of Computer Science played a huge role.”
In fact, Gannod, who made such an early impression on Alyssa, attended the couple’s wedding—a symbol of the many Tech faculty and staff who personally invested in their journey.
Looking ahead, the couple plans to stay close to campus. Micah is looking to finish his master’s degree in computer science – and is already halfway through his course of study, thanks to the university’s FastTrack program – while Alyssa recently started a career with the technology company SAIC.
To this summer’s incoming SOAR students, the couple offers simple advice.
“Remember that everybody else is feeling the exact same thing that you’re feeling,” Micah said. “Everyone else is a little nervous too.”
“You have to put yourself out there, and you will make friends,” Alyssa added. “I did the scary things and was intentional. Two of my best friends, who were bridesmaids in my wedding, were people I met through BCM!”
Tech’s SOAR sessions continue throughout the summer, with the final orientation scheduled for July 31–Aug. 1. SOAR registration remains open for admitted freshmen. Learn more at www.tntech.edu/SOAR.