The Tennessee Rehabilitation Center (TRC) in Smyrna, Tenn., has honored more than 70 graduates: students whose disabilities include traumatic brain injury, intellectual impairments and blindness. Graduates have chosen specific occupational paths and put forth much hard work and effort to become more self-sufficient and career ready. Through classroom and hands-on training that ranges from auto maintenance to business education and from food service to building maintenance, the graduates have learned skills to prepare them for success in the workforce. The commencement program was held April 26.
Janet Clodselter, parent of a former TRC student delivered the commencement address. A student speaker, Millie Carden, shared the podium during the graduation program in the center’s gymnasium.
“It’s an honor to share in the achievements of TRC’s graduates,” said Assistant Commissioner of Rehabilitation Services Cherrell Campbell-Street. “These students have worked very hard in their programs to obtain skills that will propel them toward greater successes.”
The Tennessee Rehabilitation Center is a state-operated comprehensive rehabilitation facility and is one of eight such centers in the nation. TRC provided vocational rehabilitation services to nearly 1100 students in FY 2012 and has an employment rate of 94% since 2011. Since opening its doors in 1977, the TRC has provided life and job skills training to more than 32,000 Tennesseans living with disabilities.
Services are provided on campus and the majority of students live in residential units on the campus, while receiving services. The TRC is located at 460 9th Ave. in Smyrna, just east of the Smyrna Airport near Sam Ridley Parkway. For more information on the center, call 615-459-6811.
