Made in Tennessee college tour: Dyersburg State Community College

Exactly 50 years ago, a nine hole golf course in the city of Dyersburg became Dyersburg State Community College.

Danny Walden was a part of their very first class in 1969.

“I'm extremely proud of this place I didn’t realize when I first started going here the impact it would have on me personally,” says Walden.

Currently, DSCC has around 3 thousand students receiving an education.

And throughout its 50 years the college has educated many people who are now giving back to the city of Dyersburg.

“Our mayors are educated here, our bank presidents several of them are educated here, on and on, our school teachers many of them started here,” says DSCC President Karen Bowyer.

And Dyersburg State doesn’t limit anyone from acquiring an education. Their goal is to bring the number of high school students who don’t do anything after graduation from 40 percent to 0.

What Dyersburg State does here for West Tennessee is provide opportunity especially with Tennessee Promise and Tennessee Reconnect.

“So it's been an opportunity to give more people a chance for an education, plus we've tried to raise a lot of money to give people the opportunity to go to school,” says President Bowyer.

Dyersburg State not only has a huge impact for its students but also for the community.

Every year they add 61 million dollars to the economy.

And after 50 years, Dyersburg State plans to keep the ball rolling.

They plan to add more programs in the future and continue their growth.

From Dyersburg, for 39 News, i'm Camila Rueda.