Northeast State celebrates first class of Radiologic Technology graduates

KINGSPORT – Northeast State Community College recognized the first graduating class of 19 Radiologic Technology students this spring. These students earning their two-year Associate of Applied Science degree seek to join the second-largest health science profession in the nation. Northeast State welcomed this first cohort of Radiologic Technology students in the spring semester of 2025. A shakeup in program leadership during the program's first semester did not deter this first cohort of 19 students from completing the two-year program on time. "The resilience of this group of students is phenomenal," said Ivan Kennedy, instructor and director of the Radiologic Technology program. "This group of students has grown together as a cohort more so than most." These students and upcoming graduates were recognized in a special pinning ceremony held May 8 at the Kingsport Center for Higher Education on the Northeast State at Kingsport campus. The Radiologic Technology students receiving their pins were Abby Davidson, Allison Adkins, Ashley DeVusser, Ashton Townson, Ashur Ballard, Brittany Everhart, Brooke Arnold, Caleb Salyers, Carissa Davis, Colby Soloman, Kaela Hernandez, Kara Russell, Leslie Smith, Lily McClellan, Madison Perry, Maggie Ensor, Sara Lord and Zach Richardson. Housed at the Kingsport Center for Higher Education on the College's Kingsport campus, the Radiologic Technology program uses classroom and laboratory space for x-ray technicians. A radiographer employs diagnostic imaging using X-rays, gamma rays or technologists to view the internal structure of a patient's anatomy. Radiographers work under radiologists to position patients and capture images of bones, soft tissues and organs in hospitals and clinics. The RT associate degree provides the foundation for students to pursue further education in imaging methods, including computerized tomography (CT) scans, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and nuclear medicine. "When you are working in X-rays, no patient is the same, and no situation is the same, so you have to learn to overcome and adapt," said Leslie Smith, an RT student set to graduate this spring. "You shoot the first image, and it appears to be okay, but if you shoot at another angle, you may see something badly broken; we have to keep our composure and keep right on going." A U.S. Army veteran, Smith began her healthcare career as a C.N.A. working in oncology. She wanted to get more involved with patients. During the first semester, students learn through lectures three days per week and clinical rotations two days per week. That schedule moves to two days of didactic learning and three days in clinical rotations midway through the semester, Smith said. The program demanded significant hands-on training. These students completed 1,300 hours of radiologic clinical training in four semesters under the supervision of trained radiographers. The second cohort started the spring semester of 2026. The program appears to attract interest; more than 250 students applied to the program for the second cohort with only 25 slots available. Students interested must take the courses Anatomy and Physiology I and II and Intro to Health Relation Professions to start in their program. For Health Professions majors, students typically spend their first two semesters taking classes in the Intro to Allied Health curriculum with a concentration in Radiologic Technology. Students learn in the KCHE lab with a static x-ray machine and a C-arm mobile x-ray machine. The lab machines do not produce radiation or x-rays. The lab x-ray machines are used to teach students how to position a patient and align the machine to perform the procedures. "It is a lot of hard work, a lot of anatomy, and physics, and we do hands-on clinical learning in the hospitals," said Smith. "We learn all the different positionings to get the best diagnostic images for the patients." Student graduates who meet the eligibility pathway requirements qualify to sit for the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT) certification examination. Passing the ARRT exam qualifies students to join the radiography profession. "That is a primary certification students achieve," said Kennedy. "Once you achieve that certification, you can go into CT scanning, mammography, and additional training and certifications." Kennedy said the program provided students with the foundation to pursue other imaging specialties. An MRI machine uses magnetic fields and radio waves, but it is a modality of medical imaging; nuclear medicine and ultrasound are also modalities of medical imaging. An X-ray transmits a beam of radiation through a patient. While the body's dense material, such as bone and cartilage, absorbs the X-ray, other materials allow the beam to pass through. The image creates different shades of gray, demonstrating the human anatomy. Kennedy said a radiologist interpreting the x-ray recognized what normal anatomy should look like. They are looking for something abnormal in the anatomy, such as broken bones or cartilage. Radiography shots also detect different types of cancerous lesions or other types of pathology the image reveals, such as tumors or infections that may not be immediately visible in normal anatomy. The students graduating this spring received Associate of Applied Science degrees at the spring graduation ceremony on May 12 at the Blountville campus. "We've made history not just for Northeast State but for this program," said Smith. "It is an honor to be the inaugural first class."