Cookeville native, Tennessee Tech alumnus helps prospective students discover the university he’s always called home
Growing up just 10 minutes from Tennessee Tech University, Peyton Land thought he knew the institution well.
The Cookeville native attended Golden Eagle football and basketball games as a child and spent plenty of time on campus. When it came time to choose a college, Tech felt like a natural fit.
But once he became a student, Land discovered there was much more to his hometown university.
“I thought I knew it all because I lived here, I’d been to sporting events and I’d been on campus for different things," Land said. "Then you get here and realize, ‘Oh, there’s so much more.’”
Today, Land, a 2018 Tech graduate, is helping prospective students make that same discovery.
As assistant director of admissions, Land oversees campus visits and Tech’s Trailblazer program, which connects prospective students and their families with current students who provide personalized campus tours.
This year, the university expanded its Trailblazer program to offer campus visits five days a week. Land says each visit is designed to give students time to get their questions answered and explore the parts of Tech that matter most to them.
“The one-on-one attention you get from our Trailblazers is something that really sets us apart,” Land said. “You’re going to leave here knowing exactly what you wanted to know and probably more.”
Land knows firsthand what that personal attention can mean. As a Tech student studying exercise science, he found mentors among faculty members such as Professor Christy Killman and became involved as a student worker with university athletics.
After graduation, Land headed west and spent three years working in Colorado. But something kept drawing him back to Tech.
In February 2023, he returned to the university as an admissions counselor, where connecting with prospective students helped lead him to his current role overseeing campus visits. He has since welcomed visitors from across Tennessee and as far away as California and Canada.
For families weighing whether to schedule a visit, Land’s advice is simple: “Seeing is believing.”
“Every university has its own people and its own vibe,” he explained. “Ours is special and it’s unique. If you’re not here, it’s hard to really understand. But once you’re here, you can feel exactly what Tennessee Tech is by seeing it in person.”
Land says that experience extends beyond campus to the broader Cookeville community.
“It is just a true college town,” Land added. “You can become part of the community instantly. You come here and you’re welcome. It is that Southern hospitality kind of place. You can get great food. You can see concerts. There’s just so much to do.”
Land says that, when he talks about Tech, he’s not giving anyone a scripted sales pitch – but rather is speaking from the heart about the university he grew up around, chose for himself and ultimately came home to serve.
“For me, loving Tech isn’t manufactured. It doesn’t have to be,” Land said. “It’s something I’ve experienced for myself growing up here, and I want other people to experience it. That’s why I do this job.”
Applications are open for both spring and fall 2027 admission. More information and the online application are available at www.tntech.edu/apply.
Tech was recently named a “Best National University” by U.S. News & World Report for the 12th consecutive year and was ranked the No. 1 public university in Tennessee by Money.com earlier this year.
The university offers more than 265 fields of study, including a new bachelor’s degree in artificial intelligence launched this fall and a Bachelor of Architecture degree set to launch in fall 2027.
Prospective students can schedule a VIP campus visit with Land and his team of Tennessee Tech Trailblazers at www.tntech.edu/visit.