Page 23 - Nov/Dec 2020 Vol 38 No 5

STATEWIDE by Lisa Hood Skinner

Branning Awarded 2020 Scholarship

Kyle Branning says HOPE scholarship, that elusive civil engineering degree.
that winning the which requires Branning’s receipt of the TCAPWA
TCAPWA 2020 College freshmen to hold a scholarship money has enabled him to
scholarship has given 2.75 GPA,” he said. re-enter school to pursue that degree
him a second chance “After one year, my and then to “go on to help solve real
at becoming a civil GPA was 2.807. The world infrastructure problems,” he said.
engineer, with the fear of losing my
opportunity to make scholarship led me In recommending Branning for the
a difference in his to change my major scholarship, Chris Reynolds, principal
community…and the to environmental geologist at Promus Engineering, said
world. science.” the young man “has a tremendous
heart which is so very evident in his
At a young age, the Fast forward to his eagerness to help and serve others. He
Chattanooga resident graduation from the is sensitive to the needs of the world
said he “wanted to do something using University of Tennessee Chattanooga around himself, and his honest empathy
science when I grew up. As I went and his first job at an engineering is contagious.”
through school, I had a knack for fields company. Branning said working there
like mathematics and science. I decided “helped me see and understand how Loretta Hopper, Public Works
to select civil engineering as my major some of the things I had learned about Director in the Town of Signal
after graduating from high school. applied to real life situations. Now that Mountain, agreed, saying Branning’s
However, the jump from high school to I work for a Public Works department, current position as an engineering
college-level math and science courses (Town of Signal Mountain) I can see technician there has shown his positive
proved to be a challenge.” even more how civil engineering applies energy and that he “fits into the Public
to real world situations.” Works mold of improving the quality
“Being from a low-income family, The “fire” was lit again regarding of life and enhancing our community’s
my college tuition relied heavily on the safety and welfare.”

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