RSCC Press Release
By Deborah Robbins, Roane State Communications Specialist
Rockwood native, Roane State graduate, and now University of Tennessee Baker School of Public Policy and Public Affairs student Aaron Summerall, 19, will travel to Cambridge, Massachusetts this fall for a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity with Harvard Kennedy School.
From October 29 through November 1, 2026, Summerall will be surrounded by his peers from across the nation at the school’s 26th annual Public Policy Leadership Conference.
The event is focused on providing students with an overview of what it would be like to pursue public policy careers, with the goal that attendees will go on to make the world more safe, free, just, and sustainably prosperous for all.
Summerall was selected from approximately 900 student applicants nationwide – only 50 of those students were invited to attend. Upon hearing the news, Summerall said he was filled with disbelief, excitement, and gratitude.
“I thought about the younger version of myself in Rockwood – the kid who wanted to do something meaningful but did not always know how to get there, who sometimes looked at opportunities other students had and wondered whether he would ever be able to reach them,” Summerall shared. “Learning that I had been selected made me think, ‘maybe the world of possibilities is bigger than I thought.’”
Roane State leadership agreed that the honor could not have gone to anyone more deserving, as excellence is simply the standard for Summerall wherever he goes.
While at the community college, he became one of the first of his family’s generation to earn a degree, was chosen to receive the prestigious President’s Award, and served as an inaugural member of the Student Leadership Program cohort.
His titles span several institutions, organizations, and causes, and he has embodied being a servant leader through each interaction by living the values of choosing connection and people.
“His story is defined by a life built intentionally, one challenge and one act of service at a time,” Roane State President Chris Whaley said. “Aaron may have been surprised by his selection for this recent opportunity with Harvard, but those of us who know him certainly were not. He is already doing great things and we cannot wait to see what else may be in store for him.”
Summerall said a humble start in his childhood home’s kitchen, surrounded by his loved ones, molded him to know, understand, and feel the importance of bringing people together and giving.
As a teen, he provided comfort to healthcare workers during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic by making and distributing desserts. This experience helped shape his interests in public health advocacy, food access, and rural nutritional disparities.
He advanced in state and international service levels of HOSA – Future Health Professionals, and at Roane State he continued to redefine what his path could look like.
Above all, Summerall credits achieving this critical point in his life to those who have believed in him every step of the way.
“This doesn’t feel like an accomplishment that belongs only to me,” Summerall explained. “This is for my family, my teachers, Roane State, the mentors who invested in me and wrote recommendations for me, and most importantly, for the communities I have served and will continue to serve.”
During his stay in Cambridge, Summerall will be introduced to public policy graduate education. The event will also feature a series of distinguished speakers, policy workshops, and classroom experiences.
To be eligible for the program, students must be enrolled in a two- or four-year undergraduate institution, have a 3.0 or higher GPA, and demonstrate an abiding commitment to public service through activism, student leadership, civic participation in school, communities, or through volunteering.
Summerall credited Roane State as the foundation that helped prepare him for wherever he goes next.
“This trip means more to me than simply traveling to Harvard Kennedy School,” he said. “It represents how far a path can grow from a small East Tennessee town, through Roane State, into public service and now into a national public policy experience.”
“Roane State gave me the space to grow academically, become more confident as a leader, and begin seeing myself as someone who could pursue opportunities that once felt very far away.”
Summerall is featured along with his peers in the 2026 PPLC Cohort Yearbook (see page 43). Additional information on the Harvard Kennedy School’s Public Policy Leadership Conference is available at hks.harvard.edu/educational-programs/undergraduate-opportunities/public-policy-leadership-conference. (Photo submitted. Pictured Aaron Summerall)
