Leila Howell has won the 2020 Peggy Wilson Volunteer Alumni Award at Pellissippi State Community College, sponsored and announced this year by Discovery Inc. This honor highlights an outstanding graduate in recognition of extraordinary service to the Pellissippi State community.
Vikki Neil, executive vice president and general manager for Discovery’s Digital Studios Group, said Howell “is incredibly deserving of this award.”
Leila Howell
Howell’s story is one of persistence. She started her education at Pellissippi State more than 20 years ago, but then put college on hold when she became a mother to five daughters. She returned to Pellissippi State in 2011 and earned her general associate of science degree in 2013.
Today she is a human resources manager at Integrity HR Services and is pursuing a master’s in organizational leadership at Trevecca Nazarene University.
Despite working full time, taking classes and raising her daughters as a single mom, Howell still finds the time to be an active member of Pellissippi State’s Alumni Association. For 2019’s Pack the Pickup food drive, she led a campaign to support both the Pellissippi Pantry and the college’s Clothes Closet – promoting the needs of students, setting up her workplace for drop-offs and personally picking up donations around town.
Howell also volunteers at student events and mentors Pellissippi State students through Tennessee Achieves.
“Volunteering means a great deal to me,” Howell said. “I have always harbored the philosophy that when we are blessed, we should bless others in return. My father, a sage man, once told me that anyone could give money, but not everyone can give time and talent. This is an idea that has followed me, with merit, through my adult life.”
“The Foundation is proud to honor Leila Howell’s passion for serving Pellissippi State through the Peggy Wilson Volunteer Alumni Award,” said Britney Sink, director of Alumni and Donor Engagement for the Pellissippi State Foundation. “Supporting our community is vital, and we encourage our alumni to get involved and give back.”
Info about the award here or call 865-539-7275.
Hear Leila Howell sing “Amazed” here.
Lesli Bales-Sherrod does marketing and writing for Pellissippi State Community College.