Tanna Norman is a Senior here at the University of Tennessee at Martin with a major in Communications, sequence in Broadcast Performance. Her minor is in agriculture. Her intended graduation date is May of 2017. She is originally from Santa Fe, TN.
She was nominated as a homecoming representative by her sorority, Sigma Alpha. When asking about her feelings regarding the nomination she said, "I was beyond humbled to have the honor to represent my sisterhood; a little scared too, though, I have to admit."
She is currently the President of Sigma Alpha and has also served as Greek Chair. As Greek Chair she coordinated mixers, homecoming events, Greek events and did fundraising for her sorority where she helped raised a few thousand dollars.
Other than Sigma Alpha she has also been involved in: SGA, First Year Initiative as a PEP leader, Phi Eta Sigma, Gamma Beta Phi, Phi Kappa Phi, Women In Communications, Radio Television Digital Network Association and Leaders in Residence.
She has maintained a 3.94 GPA so far in college. Her mother taught her to "Always do your best, and let God do the rest." Norman says doing her best has certainly paid off. She is a first generation college student.
She also gives back to the community. Norman helped get Food for Friends started in Weakley County. It is a service initiative that feeds families that struggle to make ends meet at the end of the month, every third Wednesday of the month. She also helps with Special Olympics in Weakley County. She wants to give back to a community that has given her so much. Martin has become her second home, and one she said she will cherish forever.
In her free time, she enjoys training, barrel racing and pole bending her horses and mule. She competes in pageants such as Miss Tennessee USA. She competed in the pageant last year and placed in the top 15! She is also the former 2014 Miss UTM Rodeo Queen.
She says, "I try to make everything I do in life fun even if at face value it might seem difficult or boring." She has one dog named Annie who is like a child to her, along with five dogs back home. She enjoys playing with her animals and spoiling them every chance she gets.
She comes from a really small town. She went to school there from Pre-K to 12th grade. She graduated with only 49 students. She said her hometown is like a big family.
After college she plans to work as a news reporter for a television station. Eventually, she wants to work as a news anchor and have her own morning agriculture segment for farmers and be able to report commodities and all things agriculture. She said she also wouldn't mind working for RFD-TV in Nashville.
Norman says "It takes a lot of courage to put yourself out there like the candidates have, and there are some great women on this campus of which six I am running with!" She said that all the girls running for Homecoming Queen are very deserving of the title and they are all as sweet as can be.
