An Unconventional Path: From the FBI to a Master of Accountancy

The University of Tennessee at Knoxville recently highlighted Mekal Smith, a GEAR UP alum. Having started his career with the FBI, he recently decided to go back to school to earn a Masters degree in Accounting. According to Robert Fuller, director of the Masters of Accounting program at Haslam College of Business,  “...I found he has a strong sense of purpose to help improve the financial literacy of struggling families who do not…

FSU nursing student honored with Community Choice Award

GEAR UP alum, Katie Marcum, was recently featured for being named the Best Nurse in Harrison County by the Exponent Telegram’s 2021 Best of Harrison County Community Choice Awards. She shares how the West Virginia GEAR UP program supported her college and career dreams, “Throughout my high school experience, I was able to tour and visit multiple colleges around the state. I knew I wanted to go into nursing and researched the best…