Partnerships Give Students a Head Start to Skilled Professions in Johnson City, TN

ETSU

By partnering with local businesses, programs at East Tennessee State University (ETSU) in Johnson City and Milligan University in Milligan have created a launchpad for students. Strategic collaborations, such as ETSU’s brewing and distillation studies program with local breweries and Milligan’s engineering program with Eastman Chemical Company, ensure students graduate with real-world experience and a competitive edge. 

Brewing Success 

For Wyatt Johnston, now the assistant brewer for Smoky Mountain Brewery, ETSU’s partnership with Tennessee Hills Brewing and Distilling was the start of a promising career. Johnston says he originally enrolled at ETSU as a marketing management major, but he had a growing interest in brewing as a hobby. That’s when he started experimenting with basic brewing techniques and studying the processes involved in making beer, liquors and wine. 

When ETSU introduced a brewing and distillation program in partnership with Tennessee Hills, Johnston jumped at the opportunity, recognizing that he could turn his hobby into a career. 

“It honestly was just a ‘right place, right time’ sort of deal,” he says. “They started the program, and I knew I had to be part of it.” 

Johnston credits ETSU’s partnership with Tennessee Hills, specifically its internship program, for launching his career. 

“I was one of the first few who were able to do an internship there, and I wouldn’t be where I am without it,” he says. “While I was learning the academic side of brewing – the chemistry, the microbiology and the engineering – I was able to apply what I was learning.” 

Jeff Adkins

Another grad of the program, Seth Perdue, began his path to brewing with a switch from computer science to history, a passion that ultimately led him to the field. 

“I really enjoyed reading about the history of beer spirits and cocktail production,” says Perdue, packaging associate at Yee-Haw Brewing Co., which joined Tennessee Hills in 2024 as an ETSU partner, offering hands-on training for students. 

Ron Roach, chair of the Department of Appalachian Studies, echoes the impact of the industry on the region’s history and future. “Brewing and distilling have played an important role in the Appalachian region for more than 250 years,” he says. 

Both Johnston and Perdue interned at Tennessee Hills before graduating and say the experience taught them not only brewing techniques but also critical cleaning and maintenance techniques that have been essential in their current positions. 

According to Roach, the program’s innovative partnership with local industry ensures students gain cutting-edge skills and remain competitive in a rapidly evolving field. 

“Tennessee Hills has been our partner from the beginning, providing invaluable help in establishing the program,” Roach says. “Yee-Haw Brewing has emerged as another valuable partner, and we are very pleased to have their head brewer, Dan Rowe, join us as an additional instructor.” 

Earl Neikirk

Engineering a Rewarding Career 

Milligan University’s partnership with Eastman was a game changer for Jonathan Barrett, a 2023 graduate who is now employed by the Kingsport-based global specialty materials company as a piping engineer. Eastman continues to invest in the university’s engineering program in an ongoing effort to build the pipeline of graduates pursuing careers in STEM. 

The partnership offers students, such as Barrett, direct exposure to Eastman-funded labs and resources that help them gain real-world experience before entering the workforce. 

“Milligan’s tailored program meant that, when I graduated, I was much more prepared than some of the others I work with,” Barrett says. “Our professors would bring in valves and piping equipment that are used on the job at Eastman. Knowing what a plug valve is before I started was huge. Most people from other schools didn’t have that kind of exposure.” 

Barrett says he was also able to apply the theories of fluid mechanics and thermodynamics, which have been crucial to his current role in managing equipment, flow rates and stress calculations. 

Barrett’s path to Milligan was intentional. The university’s highly rated engineering program as well as its approach to Christian faith played a significant role in Barrett’s choice. A supportive environment, coupled with a smaller class size, also allowed him to build close relationships with faculty. 

“I graduated with a class of only 15 mechanical engineers, so I had one-on-one time with my professors. I’m still friends with them and go back to help with training,” he says.