DENISE ARNOLD

Director of NiswongerCARE

darnold@niswongerfoundation.org

Phone: (423) 820-8219

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 As the Director of NiswongerCARE, I feel blessed to work with an amazing staff that has a passion for helping high school students in Northeast TN to achieve their future dreams.  I often think to myself how much I needed a college and career Advisor when I was a high school student without a real plan for my future. I knew I wanted to go to college and my parents supported that decision.  As a first generation college student and growing up in a small town, it is an understatement to say that I had a lot of fears about what college would be like and if I could make it once I got there. One of the best things about this work is that I am able to play a part in helping those students who remind me so much of myself when I was trying to figure out the whole college thing without much guidance.  

I grew up in Johnson County and attended Johnson County High School through my junior year and then decided to graduate early and attend East Tennessee State University where I earned my Bachelor’s degree. A few years after graduating from college and working in a few different  positions, I felt led to pursue a career as an educator. I went on to earn my Masters in School Counseling and worked as a high school counselor for many years. In 2010, I returned to ETSU to pursue an Educational Specialist degree in Educational Leadership, with a concentration in Counselor Leadership.  After completing that degree I was fortunate enough to join the Niswonger Foundation in 2011 as a College and Career Counselor before serving as Director of Learning Resources and Online Coordinator. I now serve as the Program Director for NiswongerCARE.  

The people in life that bring me great joy are my two children.  My daughter Lindsay and her husband Ben who live in Auburn, Alabama with my favorite little person, my granddaughter Collins. Anyone that knows me has heard a Collins story! I also love spending time with my son Jesse and his wife Arielle who currently live in Kingsport. My fiancé Kevin and I enjoy attending college football games and concerts, but we especially love cooking together and trying out new recipes.