The simplest questions often hold the most profound insights, and one such moment came when Leigh Anne Touzeau’s mother posed a seemingly innocuous inquiry: “What has been your favorite job?” Her probing question sparked a journey of introspection that Leigh Anne had never anticipated when she expressed the unhappiness she felt at her current position.
Leigh Anne graduated from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville with a bachelor’s in marketing, and started her career in sales. Believing sales meant being with people, she found it one of isolation and didn’t like it. She says, “I wanted to do something that had more of a service to people aspect, but I didn’t know what.”
As Leigh Anne reflected on her mother’s question, she realized her favorite job wasn’t really a job but the opportunity she had to be the student orientation leader at UTK. This realization sent her on a new journey. She contacted her previous supervisor at UTK, Clay Brown, director of new student orientation, who granted her an internship in his office. The new path led to her getting a master’s degree in college student personnel.
Leigh Anne pursued her passion for working with students in a UTK position she held until budget cuts led her to Maryville College as a housing director and her future husband, Tom. After continuing her education to earn a doctorate in higher education leadership, the doors opened at Pellissippi State Community College for her present position, assistant vice president of enrollment services.
Having come full circle from her student intern self, Leigh Anne says, “I love working with students and working at a college keeps me young – it never gets old – there is always something new that I encounter every week – so the variety really keeps me going. Also, it is very fulfilling to think that you could be helping someone to change their life for the better. The work is very purposeful and fulfilling.”
Leigh Anne and her husband, Tom, have not had a life without major challenge. Tom suffered a traumatic brain injury from a bicycle accident in 2019. A serious injury requiring relocation to Atlanta for rehabilitation reaffirmed Leigh Anne’s loyalty to Pellissippi State: “Pellissippi State was AMAZING during that time. They allowed me to work from Atlanta where Tom was for rehabilitation. It was very comforting to know how much people around you care and are holding you up. I will never forget that.”
Leigh Anne has now been at Pellissippi State for 26 years with a retirement of travel and grandkids in the future.
