Bella Rigsby
As an elementary education major from Lebanon, Tennessee, Bella Rigsby has found her
place at Tennessee Tech University, a place she admits wasn’t always her first choice.
“Tennessee Tech was not always my first option,” Rigsby said. “I wanted to go to a
much bigger school, but when I came here and went on my tour, I saw that there were
so many opportunities to grow as a leader. In high school I was very involved, and
I wanted to bring that to college. My brother also went here. I just fell in love
with the campus here. It wasn’t too big, it wasn’t too small, and I had friends coming
here, but there were also opportunities to meet new people.”
Rigsby began her college journey as a nursing major but soon realized her passion
for teaching was leading her in a different direction.
“At first, elementary education was not my major,” she said. “I was a nursing major.
I always wanted to work with kids, so I was going to take that with nursing, but I
decided that wasn’t the path for me. I decided to switch my major in the spring, and
it’s been the best decision I’ve ever made.”
Her advisors in the College of Education and Human Sciences played a key role in making
the transition smooth.
“They really poured into me and helped me decide if this was the right decision when
changing my major,” she said. “They helped me change all my classes, stay on track
to graduate on time, and they really supported me.”
Now, Rigsby says the sense of community within the College of Education and Human
Sciences has stood out.
“You are with your classmates in almost every single class and with that you are able
to grow deeper connections and turn to them when you have a homework assignment you
need help on or just to go hang out with somebody and study,” she said.
Outside the classroom, she has been involved across campus. Rigsby serves as a Trailblazer,
vice president of programming for Tennessee Tech Panhellenic, and social chair in
her sorority, and is a leader in the Baptist Collegiate Ministry. She also worked
as a Student Orientation Assistant.
“Being involved has made my college experience,” she said. “Yes, we have the classes,
and I meet people through those, but I also have the people that I can go to after
when I’m done with schoolwork for the day and it has made me the person I am today.
It’s made me a leader. It’s made me be able to grow and with these clubs and organizations
I have really made Tech my home, away from home and gave me a sense of belonging.”
Her favorite memories at Tech include homecoming week and sorority bid day.
“Homecoming is a week full of fun activities with my sorority. It’s definitely just
a fun time where all of Greek life comes together and all of Cookeville comes together,”
Rigsby said.
Looking ahead, Rigsby hopes to start her teaching career in a second-grade classroom
in her hometown and eventually move into school leadership.
“If I got a call today, my dream job would be to be in a second-grade classroom in
my hometown,” she said. “Or if I was teaching for a while, to become a principal at
a local school in my hometown.”
She has no doubts about her decision to attend Tennessee Tech.
“I personally would not change anything about my choice here at Tech,” Rigsby said.
“It has really made a difference on my life. The connections I’ve made, the leadership
positions I’ve had, and the education I’m getting is something that I am very grateful
for and can’t wait to spend my next two years here and make so many more memories.”