Sharif Finds Confidence and Success Through Nashville State

Payam Sharif loves to cook, travel, edit video, and spend time with family and friends. Another passion is continued learning.

The Cane Ridge High School graduate and member of the National Honors Society, applied to and was accepted into several local 4-year universities, “but being the first in my family to attend college honestly really intimidated me.”

“I wanted a comfortable transition to college without feeling so overwhelmed. I can confidently say that Nashville State was a great start of my professional and personal development. I noticed that with small class sizes, I was able to connect with the wonderful professors that I still have connections with today.”

Being a first-generation student, “I learned to be confident and realized that you don’t have to be perfect; you just have to put in your best and the rest follows.”

When thinking back on favorite memories at Nashville State, Payam remarked, “I will never forget the positive energy and passion Professor [Brian] Curtis brought to class about literature. It is very inspiring seeing someone so passionate in their career which made me realize how much importance or impact it brings to everyone else.”

Using the TN Promise scholarship, “which saved me from burdens of student loan debt,” Payam graduated in 2018, with an Associate of Science, Business Administration, earning magna cum laude and dean’s list.

She transferred to MTSU, where she made the dean’s list and graduated magna cum laude in 2020, with a Bachelor of Business Administration, Marketing minor. While in school, she was part of the International Business Honors Society and Kurdish Professionals.

Payam recently started a new job at Whitehardt, Inc., a niche national agency specializing in marketing for law firms, as the intake services coordinator with a focus on sales and lead generation.

“Nashville State’s diversity helped prepare me for my career, because of interaction with other students from different countries, it helped me gain an understanding of communication and teamwork. I have found soft-skills are needed if you want to excel in your career.”

In expressing feelings about her journey, Payam said, “There were times where I felt like giving up or felt lost even. I am so appreciative that I did not because it made me who I am today. If it wasn’t for my experiences, I would never have been so resilient, self-motivated, and understanding.”

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