Connection Newsletter May-June 2022

Alumnus Dr. Smith Heavner Addresses the Class of 2022 In his remarks to the Class of 2022, alumnus Dr. Smith Heavner told the graduates to expect feelings of self-doubt as they make their way into the workforce and beyond, but warned them not to let those feelings of insecurity get the better of them. “The imposter syndrome (defined as an internal experience of doubting yourself and feeling like a fraud) happens to everyone,” said Dr. Heavner, who currently serves as the scientific director of the CURE Drug Repurposing Collaboratory, an international research consortium. Eight hundred and fifty-seven graduates from fall 2021 and spring 2022 were eligible Two-time alumnus Dr. Smith Heavner, who currently serves as the scientific to receive degrees, diplomas and certificates at Littlejohn Coliseum director of the CURE Drug Repurposing Collaboratory, an international May 14. research consortium, was the commencement speaker.

“The imposter syndrome is that feeling that you’re not good enough, that you are making it up as you go along, but everyone earned his associate degree in nursing in 2012 and passed the NCLEX else knows what they are doing. You will question whether you are with ease. qualified, capable. You will think I am making this up as I go along. The “It took me six years to finish but my choice of school, our choice secret is we are all making this up as we go along,” said Dr. Heavner. of school, made it possible for me to make it through. They assured “But your education, your training gives you the tools and me that my past failures didn’t define me, that I deserved to be resources to make better guesses about what to do. The purpose there,” he said. of higher education isn’t to give you all the answers. It is to help He went on to earn a bachelor of science in nursing from Clemson you understand what you do not know and to train you to find the University in 2014. He earned a doctor of philosophy from Clemson information you need to make a decision. Don’t let the imposter University in 2021, and currently he is engaged in the Global Clinical syndrome get the better of you. You are qualified, you are ready, you Scholars Program at Harvard Medical School. are capable.”

“I didn’t always make all the right choices,” said Dr. Heavner, a public health scientist who is also a registered nurse with more than a decade of clinical experience, specializing in emergency and critical care nursing. Nearly two decades ago 17-year-old Heavner met Jennifer Beattie (now Hulehan), then a TCTC English instructor who was teaching a dual enrollment class at D. W. Daniel High School, where Heavner was a student.

He says he remembers the day Hulehan told him he had written a college-level paper. “She said SGA Vice President Bryan Olvera, who graduated summa I should be proud of my work. I vividly remember cum laude with an associate in science degree, delivered the her saying that I would succeed in college – not welcome remarks at commencement and Megan Ropp, a just that I should enroll in college,” he said. He university transfer major, sang the National Anthem. decided he would be a nurse aide and figure things out from there.

Greg Acatitlan, former president of the He enrolled at TCTC, recognizing that small Student Government Association and classes and better relationships with instructors the National Society of Leadership and were a plus. In 2008, Heavner was pursuing Success (NSLS), received an associate his associate degree in nursing but failed an degree in nursing. obstetrics class. “It knocked me out of the program. I had never failed before,” he said. He didn’t give up, and after receiving a practical nursing degree in 2010 and passing the state board exam, he transitioned back into the ADN program. He Uber Queen received a Media Arts Production degree.

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