Jefferson County High School Senior Emma Disney Becomes 4th Generation Tennessee Tech Student

Jefferson County High School senior and incoming Tennessee Tech student Emma Disney is pictured at “Fearless Falls” on Tech’s Centennial Plaza.

When it came time for Jefferson County High School senior Emma Disney to consider her college options, she didn’t hesitate.

“I was dead set on coming to Tennessee Tech,” she said.

While the East Tennessee native had plenty of schools vying for her attention thanks to her 4.0 GPA, enrolling at Tech was a family tradition she was determined to continue.

Disney’s mother is a third-generation Tech graduate, while her father’s enrollment at the university made him the first in his family to pursue higher education. The two met at Tech and returned often through the years.

“I grew up being on campus. It was always a part of my life,” said Disney. “I’ve known great people who went there, people I looked up to. So it felt like a good goal for me to have.”

When Disney arrives on campus in fall 2026, she plans to major in early childhood education—a path inspired by her mother’s career and a service-learning course she took in high school.

“I really don’t think there’s anybody I look up to more than my mom,” Disney said. “She’s an elementary art teacher, and to this day we’ll be at the mall and grown adults with children will come up to her and say how much she helped them. I want to be able to have that kind of impact.”

On a recent campus visit, Disney met faculty from Tech’s College of Education & Human Sciences, including Dean Lisa Zagumny, and toured the college’s newly enhanced Jeffers Learning Resource Center (JLRC)—a technology-infused space designed for education majors. The JLRC offers a virtual reality lab, free laptop and iPad rentals, a dedicated library, and state-of-the-art tools to help future educators design inclusive, accessible lesson plans and classroom environments.

“I loved it,” said Disney. “All of the technology they put into it was amazing.”

Disney said Tech is also making her college dream more affordable through the university’s Presidential Scholars program, which offers guaranteed scholarships to new freshmen who meet minimum GPA and standardized test score requirements.

Her strong grades and ACT score qualified her for a $4,000 annual scholarship from the university—something she called “surreal.”

“I’ve always worked very hard to get into college and to qualify for scholarships,” Disney added. “My parents are helping pay for my college, and I wanted to help them in the way they’ve helped me. So, I’m very grateful I was able to get that.”

As Disney looks ahead to next fall, she finds meaning in knowing she’ll soon walk the same paths across campus that her mom did years earlier.

“I’ve heard about all of the fun times she had and how she met her people—her best friends that she’s still friends with today—at Tech,” Disney explained. “Everything she has now she credits to her time there.”

Disney’s family also ensured she was well-versed in Cookeville traditions outside of campus.

“I’ve been talking about the Ralph’s Donuts and Big O’s rivalry since I was four years old!” she said with a laugh.

Prospective students can join Disney in Tech’s class of 2030 by applying for admission at www.tntech.edu/apply. The priority application deadline for scholarships is Dec. 15.