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Mitchell Grimm’s perseverance rewarded as TBR Student of the Year finalist

By Chris Caldwell 

Mitchell GrimmSouthwest student Mitchell Grimm’s perseverance to complete his degree has rewarded him with the acknowledgement and recognition that comes with hard work and determination.  

In spring 2022, Mitchell was named as a finalist for Student of the Year in the Tennessee Board of Regents’ (TBR) Statewide Outstanding Achievement Recognition Award (SOAR) awards. 

“To be selected to represent Southwest as the TBR Student of the Year Award is very personal and meaningful to me,” Grimm said. “I have been working full-time while working on my paralegal studies degree. It took me three years plus a semester to finish, and that meant three and a half years of long days, extra busy weekends and shortened vacations planned around breaks between semesters.” Despite the long hours and days, Grimm said it all was a worthy sacrifice for both him and his wife. 

Southwest Professor of Paralegal Studies Twyla Waters nominated Grimm for the award and calls him, “an excellent representative for the College.” “It has been a pleasure to have Grimm in five of my classes since he began the paralegal studies program in the fall of 2018. He has been a diligent, attentive, and conscietious student. As a teacher, I cherish these qualites in my students,” Waters said. 

TBR also recognized Grimm for his academic achievements in the classroom during the 2022 Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) and the National Technical Honor Society (NTHS) annual student honors luncheon in Nashville. Grimm was presented with a medallion and certificates signifying his outstanding achievements.

Grimm completed his A.A.S. in paralegal studies in December 2021, graduating summa cum laude with a 4.0 grade-point average. He is now enrolled in his junior year at Mississippi State University working toward a bachelor's degree. He also serves as a full-time senior legal associate for a Southaven-based Google operations center.