Aaron Summerall, a 19-year-old from Rockwood, Tennessee, has been named the 2026 President’s Award recipient at Roane State Community College, the institution’s highest student honor. The award recognizes his strong academic performance, extensive campus involvement, community service, and leadership. Summerall, who will soon become the first in his family to earn a college degree, has served as a Student Government Association Senator, HOSA International Executive Council Central Region Vice President, and inaugural Student Leadership Cohort member. He is also an entrepreneur who runs “Aaron’s Place,” a successful small baking business.

Summerall’s journey reflects resilience and service. Raised closely by his grandmother—who never finished high school—he learned discipline, patience, and self-belief in the kitchen long before college. During the COVID-19 pandemic, his passion for baking led him to create treats for healthcare workers, which evolved into a business that has sold over 2,000 desserts while giving back to the community. An accidental placement in a health science class in high school introduced him to HOSA, where he found belonging and rose through chapter, state, and international levels. This experience fueled his advocacy for rural nutritional disparities and health issues. At Roane State, courses in communications, biology, sociology, and math helped him develop his voice and critical thinking skills. He credits the supportive environment and professors, especially associate professor Melanie Hildebrandt, for helping him transition from questioning his place to focusing on how he could contribute.

President Chris Whaley praised Summerall’s extraordinary drive and limitless potential, while Summerall himself highlighted the role of family support, particularly his grandparents and his mother’s path to stability. As the President’s Award winner, he will deliver a speech at Roane State’s spring commencement on May 8-9, 2026, in Harriman and be featured in a special video for the Class of 2026. This fall, he will transfer to the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, to pursue a bachelor’s degree in public affairs and health policy, with plans to earn a master’s in public health policy.