Crossville native makes seamless transition to Tennessee Tech through ‘Roane to Tech’ partnership
When Peyton Presley began his college journey at Roane State Community College’s Crossville campus, he already knew where he wanted to end up.
“I wanted to go to Roane State and then eventually go to Tennessee Tech – that was the main plan,” Presley said.
What he didn’t know was that a partnership between the two institutions would help make that path even smoother.
Presley, a junior from Crossville, is majoring in wildlife and fisheries science at Tech, where he is among the students benefiting from “Roane to Tech,” a partnership designed to provide Roane State students with a seamless transition to the four-year university.
Participants in the program, known as “Golden Raiders,” are guaranteed admission to Tech without losing credits earned at Roane State. They also receive a waived Tech application fee, access to a university advisor while attending Roane State, invitations to special events and free Roane to Tech gear.
For Presley, the program was not part of his original plan when he enrolled at Roane State. After being admitted, he met with his success coach and explained that he eventually wanted to attend Tech.
“That’s when she introduced the Roane to Tech program,” Presley said. “And then at that point, I had become a Golden Raider.”
The pathway also helped Presley discover the major he wanted to pursue.
“I’ve always been fascinated with animals and the outdoors,” he added.
When his success coach showed him the majors available through the program, Presley noticed his chosen field of study and knew it was a good fit. He was also shown how his first two years at Roane State would connect with his junior and senior years at Tech.
“They had told me that everything that I’m taking for my first two years at Roane State would translate over to Tech,” Presley said. “So, it would just be a very smooth transition going on into Tennessee Tech, working on my major classes – and it was.”
The biology, history and other core courses he completed at Roane State have helped him build a foundation for his upper-level coursework at Tech. When professors in courses such as botany and ecology referenced concepts from general biology, Presley said his previous coursework helped him quickly make connections.
“I caught on right away,” he explained.
Presley chose to continue his education on Tech’s Cookeville campus because of the hands-on nature of his major. He also chose to live on campus, a decision that has helped him become involved in the Tech community.
Now a resident assistant in Crawford Hall, Presley participated in Tech’s Week of Welcome activities, where he quickly connected with fellow students.
“It was my first time actually being able to experience that and just seeing all the cool stuff they had going on around campus,” he said. “I really enjoyed it. It was very lively.”
With 286 student organizations around campus, Presley found other ways to meet classmates, too, including Chi Alpha, a faith-based student ministry.
“Within the first few days of being at Tech, I met so many people,” he said. “People were so friendly. I made so many friends. I became very involved very quickly.”
For students considering the Roane to Tech pathway, Presley said his experience has shown him that earning a four-year degree through the program can be a natural progression.
“The credits 100% transfer over,” he said. “And if you’re wanting to reach a four-year degree, that’ll essentially knock out your first two years.”
Presley said his time at Roane State also helped prepare him for the transition to a four-year university.
“I feel like it was a stepping stone,” he said. “It helped prepare me more. And it also helped me understand what college is like.”
Today, Presley continues to build on that foundation at Tech — pursuing a career working with wildlife while becoming an increasingly active member of the university community.
For him, the journey from Roane State to Tennessee Tech has been exactly what the partnership was designed to provide: a seamless next step toward a four-year degree.
Learn more about Roane to Tech at https://www.roanestate.edu/?12870-Roane-to-Tech.