LEADING THROUGH CHALLENGE
Roan Scholars learned about leading through challenge with a visit to the Boone Dam, where they saw firsthand the massive repair project underway. The COVID-19 pandemic also provided Scholars many opportunities to lead through challenge, as they found ways to serve their communities during a time of need.
FROM BULGARIA TO APPALACHIA: DOCUMENTING THE PANDEMIC
Larissa Copley ’21 had long dreamed of spending a semester abroad. Two months into her spring semester at the American University in Bulgaria, though, that dream was cut short when Larissa received word she had to return to the United States. "There was no time for proper goodbyes and no time for closure,” she said. “It was just a lot of emotions to process in a very short amount of time.”
THE BOONE DAM REPAIR PROJECT
The Boone Dam Project, once completed, will be a seven-year construction project, with a projected cost of $450 million. Roan Scholars got an up-close look at the technical, scientific, and managerial expertise required to carry out such a large-scale project when they toured the dam in October 2019. In October 2014, a sinkhole was discovered near the base of the embankment at Boone Dam. That discovery initiated a massive remediation project to ensure the dam’s stability. The dam, opened in 1952, plays a critical role in the series of Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) dams that control water levels and generate electricity.
After nearly 30 hours of international travel, Larissa arrived back in Tennessee. “I spent the following weeks struggling to grasp the reality of my situation,” she said. To help come to terms with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on her college experience, Larissa enrolled in Professor Melissa Schrift’s Anthropology summer seminar on the pandemic. Students in the
18 | ROAN ANNUAL REPORT 2019-2020
Scholars learned about the history of the TVA, the original dam construction, and dam safety from Veronica Barredo, TVA Senior Program Manager, Civil Engineering. Barredo also walked Scholars through the highly technical repair process and talked about her experience working on dam projects around the globe. The TVA’s focus on safety for the downstream public and its workers was a key theme throughout the visit. Scholars also visited Boone Dam’s control room and learned about the dam’s primary functions that include flood control of the South Fork Holston River and generating hydroelectric power from the river’s current, which supplies roughly 46,000 houses with power. Thinking about how individuals and organizations show leadership in the face of challenge was a significant takeaway for Tiffany Cook ’21. “In situations like the sinkhole at Boone Dam, which is a critical issue, you have to learn how to lead and take charge and better serve those around you,” said Tiffany. course documented the pandemic in Appalachia in real time, primarily through photography and interviews. “I found that sharing my story was therapeutic,” said Larissa. “The course also reminded me that everyone else has a story, too, and that everyone else also has the right to be hurt.” Tiffany Cook ’21 also participated in Professor Schrift’s course. One of the
