MARTIN, Tenn. – Growing up in a family of medical professionals, Mallory Clenney knew from an early age that she wanted to follow in the footsteps of her mother and brother as a nurse but in her own style. On May 2, 2020, Clenney, who studied at the University of Tennessee at Martin Parsons Center, became the first student in UT Martin history to graduate from the nursing program in three years.
“(Becoming a nurse) was just something that stuck in my heart. I wanted to be a person that, in the future, could help these people whenever they are the most vulnerable and also help their family… (who) is also struggling,” Clenney said. “I just want to be that sense of calm for them and be able to provide them the best care that I know how.”
“From the moment I met Mallory, I was very impressed with her drive and dedication,” said Christy Blount, Parsons Center nursing program coordinator. “She had started working toward her long-term goal to complete this degree in three years before even graduating from high school. I hope that Mallory is very happy with her choice to enter the nursing profession and she finds an area she loves.”
Clenney, who graduated from Scotts Hill High School in 2017, said she decided to start preparing for nursing school early because she knew she was supposed to be a nurse and didn’t want to waste any time. She quit playing basketball, began taking dual enrollment courses, earned 58 credits before graduating and entered the UT Martin nursing program the following August. While Clenney did struggle in her courses at times, she says it was a rewarding experience that made her the nurse she always wanted to be.
Now working at Jackson-Madison County General Hospital, Clenney is confident that her education at the UT Martin Parsons Center has prepared her to be the best nurse she can be even in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.