Siblings find success and a future while at Nashville State

Brother and sister Anthony and Damari Ornelas came to Nashville State under different circumstances.

One entered Early College High School on Nashville State’s White Bridge campus, graduated, and then went on to Vanderbilt.

The other attended a different Metro Nashville Public Schools high school, then came to Nashville State to study science, graduated this spring, and is continuing her education journey by seeking her bachelor's degree.

Two paths, both finding success in a place that nurtured their love of science and set them on the course for a bright future.

Anthony, aged 23, enrolled in the Early College High School on Nashville State’s White Bridge campus during his junior year of high school. There, he was able to earn both high school credits and begin college coursework for credit.

“It was a bit nerve-racking at first,” he said. “I was nervous and didn’t know what to expect, but my principal encouraged me to take two college classes.”

“I don’t really know why I was nervous; it was a great environment. The professors were always great and super helpful.”

As he continued his studies, Anthony decided to focus on science, inspired by an early love of science fiction movies. “We would always try to understand the science behind it and do more research into the stuff we saw in those movies.”

After graduating from Early College High School with his high school diploma and several college credits, Anthony continued at Nashville State where he majored in chemistry and earned his associate degree.

That success led him to Vanderbilt University, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in biochemistry and currently works as a research assistant.

“It was a great combination of pure interest, and having great professors was a perfect mixture for me.”

Early College High School “was great.”

“All the people who are involved with Early College are amazing, and they really want you to succeed.”

Damari followed in her brother’s footsteps at Nashville State after attending Martin Luther King Jr. Magnet High School.

There, she took multiple college-prep courses and began nurturing her interest in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) fields. After enrolling at Nashville State, she chose to study physics.

“I really liked focusing on my STEM classes and exploring that field more and I wanted to be a woman in STEM,” Damari said. “And being Hispanic, I think it’s really good for both my brother and me to be in this field and provide representation.”

“We have an 11-year-old brother, and we want him to be able to say, ‘both my older siblings are in STEM fields.”

During her time at Nashville State, Damari also branched out into extracurricular activities and started the STEM Society to serve as a place for students across those disciplines to join and collaborate.

“I wanted to make a space for all STEM majors to enjoy and collaborate with each other,” Damari said.

In addition to study sessions and projects, they have also worked to bring in industry leaders to meet with students and discuss potential careers after graduation. “We get to ask questions and let them talk about what they do and provide that resource to students.”

“I’ve really enjoyed (my time at Nashville State), there’s been so many opportunities to learn and explore new things,” Damari said.

Damari graduated this spring with her associate degree in physics and will head to Vanderbilt University in the fall.

The Ornelas siblings are clear examples that there is no one single path in higher education. But at Nashville State, each student can find the right course for themselves and, with hard work and dedication, find the starting point of success in their lives.