Join us for the Pellissippi Strong Luncheon on Tuesday, April 21, 2026, 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. at the Hilton Knoxville Airport, 2001 Alcoa Highway. The annual event will feature an engaging keynote by Vallie Collins, Miracle on the Hudson survivor, and a celebration of our annual alumni awards, hosted by WATE-TV’s Tearsa Smith.

Vallie was a passenger on US Airways Flight 1549 – the “Miracle on the Hudson” – which Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger safely landed in New York’s Hudson River after both engines were disabled by a large flock of geese. Join us as Vallie shares how this life-altering experience reshaped her life and the powerful lessons it taught her about resilience, perspective, and gratitude.

The luncheon will also feature the college’s two highest alumni awards – the Distinguished Alumni Award and the Peggy Wilson Volunteer Alumni Award.

Tickets and sponsorships available. Individual tickets are $75 and include lunch.

Pellissippi State Community College is a public community college based in Knox and Blount counties in Tennessee and operated by the Tennessee Board of Regents. The college operates four campuses: Hardin Valley, Blount County, Strawberry Plains, and Magnolia Avenue.

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