2024 SkillsUSA Tennessee Postsecondary Advisor of the Year

Nellie Blanton | TCAT Knoxville

Meet Nellie Blanton. Originally from Knoxville, TN, this advisor attended High Point University in High Point, NC, where she received a BA in Communications. She then attended East Tennessee State University in Johnson City, TN, where she earned a Master's Degree in Counseling. She worked for Knox County schools for five years before starting her current position as an Admissions Counselor and Recruiter at Tennessee College of Applied Technology Knoxville. 

She focuses her work there on mentoring students to help them achieve personal and professional success while they are students and in their future roles. Working at TCAT Knoxville has allowed her to utilize both her communication and counseling skills and strengths in a leadership role. Her professional goal is to continue to work in career technical education to help provide pathways for people to change their lives and meet their goals. She has been the lead SkillsUSA advisor for TCAT Knoxville since February of 2022 and has developed a great passion for the organization and how it works to help prepare students for the world of work. 

The SkillsUSA Advisor of the Year program recognizes Professional members who actualize the organization's mission of empowering students to become world-class workers, leaders, and responsible American citizens. A SkillsUSA chapter is only successful with the support of an Advisor who has dedicated themselves to career and technical education by intentionally integrating the SkillsUSA Framework and ensuring students can articulate the skills they have developed. State recipients are submitted to the regional competition. During NLSC, regional winners are interviewed, and a national winner is selected. The deadline to submit the Advisor of the Year application is March 1, 2024. Apply Here!
 
Recipients on the state, regional and national levels will serve as ambassadors to the organization by representing SkillsUSA at conferences, attending and exhibiting on behalf of SkillsUSA at industry trade shows and participating in social media engagement opportunities.

Application areas:

• Philosophy on CTE and SkillsUSA Framework skill development
• Intentional SkillsUSA Framework integration into school and chapter
• Communication of SkillsUSA Framework Skill Development

Eligibility requirements for regional or national consideration:

• Must be a paid, Professional member in the current school year
• Chapter must achieve a minimum of Level 2 within the SkillsUSA Chapter Excellence Program during the current school year