NASHVILLE, TN (SPECIAL TO WLAF) – Roane State Community College student and Spring City resident Andrew Kingsolver was recently appointed by Gov. Bill Lee to serve as the student representative on the Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC), where he will be a voting member. He was appointed to the position following a competitive application process and will serve a one-year term which began July 1.

State Sen. Ken Yager (R-Kingston) wrote a letter in support of Kingsolver’s application to Lee and congratulated the impressive student on his appointment.

“It is a high honor to be appointed a voting member of THEC as a student and I congratulate Mr. Kingsolver on this achievement,” said Yager. “As a nontraditional student with a background in welding and pipefitting he will bring a unique and valuable perspective to the Commission. He is a hard-working and dependable individual and I am proud he will represent his school, East Tennessee, and students across the state as a member of THEC.”

Kingsolver serves as a Senator on Roane State’s Student Government Association and has a strong academic record. Before attending Roane State, he worked in pipefitting for a natural gas pipelines.

In order to be selected as the THEC Student Representative an individual must have a 3.0 GPA, be enrolled full-time at a Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR) institution, be a resident of Tennessee, and have previous or current leadership experience as an SGA officer, senator or similar equivalent or leadership within the greater community. The Tennessee Board of Regents selects one nominee for THEC Student Representative every year as required by statute (TCA 49-7-204 (c)) (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED – 08/02/2022-6AM)