Olympia Garcia Lopez talks about her experience as a Guatemalan immigrant in Chattanooga and how she came to find La Paz.
For those building new lives in Chattanooga, the journey often begins with an organization like La Paz. Even at a time of rapidly shifting policy and funding changes, this organization isn’t going anywhere, and remains firmly committed to the people they serve.
La Paz is a Latino services non-profit organization with a stated goal of “empowering and engaging Chattanooga’s Latino population through advocacy, education, and inclusion.”
“From the very beginning we’ve encountered many Hispanic men coming to Chattanooga for work opportunities, and they started coming in with their families. The needs start changing from job opportunities or like documentation to other processes, more programs, more resources that they need for the whole family instead of just an individual” said Daniela Durán, the communication coordinator for La Paz.
76-year-old Ernest Harris speaks about playing pick-up basketball at his local YMCA and what being active and on his feet with friends means to him.
Elbow pads are strapped on, knee pads are adjusted and you can hear neck braces being velcroed. This is just a typical day at the Hamilton Family YMCA basketball court. Most young hoopers don’t even bother playing against the seasoned vets.. For these senior hoopers, this is their lifestyle.
John Hendrickson recently moved to Chattanooga from Illinois and the 78-year-old man is one of the many seniors actively playing basketball every Monday at the YMCA.
“Many of us have a good background in basketball, just a group of guys wanting to do something together,” Hendrickson said.
Megan Cooper hosts an episode of Rising Rock Media Podcast where listeners can get a glance at life in Chattanooga, Tennessee. She speaks with several very different people from interviews she hosted throughout the semester.
Meet The Storyteller
Megan Cooper is a senior communication student at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, UTC, focusing on being an audio technician and editor. Megan has experience using Adobe programs to create audio content for broadcasting. Megan is a show host, promotions director, and station manager at UTC’s student-run radio station, the Perch. She is also currently working as a promotions tech at Summit Media Group in Knoxville, TN. This is Megan’s second semester in Rising Rock as an audio technician where she uses nothing but tone of voice to share people’s stories, and she built the Rising Rock radio showcase for 88.1 WUTC. When she isn’t working she is reading fantasy books and hunting down the next CD on her list. Cooper’s passion lies in music, books, radio, and using stories to bring people together. If you have a story you want to tell or want to contact Megan you can reach her at megancooper820@gmail.com.
Trish King, the Construction Office Manager at Habitat for Humanity of Greater Chattanooga Area talks about her experience working with volunteers and homeowners in the local community.
A public park, a mountain view, colorful homes, and bustling construction sites: these are all things you wouldn’t typically expect to see in a community with subsidized housing, but thanks to the work of the city and Habitat for Humanity of Greater Chattanooga, this is the scene at the Villages of Alton Park.
Construction Office Manager Trish King has seen firsthand the effect that they’ve had fostering a community in the neighborhood.
“We are not building one house for one person in isolation,” said King. “It’s that there are people around here who’ve been through the same process, it’s being part of something bigger.”
Bill Steber, a Mississippi Blues photographer and one of the Hoodoo Men musicians, speaks about the value in analog art forms and revisiting the past through historical and modern perspectives.
The backdoor of a well-loved white van swings open with a squeak, revealing a fully functional darkroom that transforms tin plates into photographs. Upon closer look a collection of instruments inhabits the corners, mirroring how the two devotions appear in the life of photojournalist and musician Bill Steber.
Steber describes his job title as a “chief cook and bottle washer at preserving the old weird America,” a culinary term meaning his responsibilities in his field rank from high to low and everywhere in between, illustrating the journey his professional career has taken.
Along with strumming to an array of instruments and joining friend Sam Baker in the HooDoo men, Steber also spent 15 years as a photojournalist for the Tennessean and embarked on a documentary journey through the Mississippi’s Blues Trail. Photography and music have been life-long passions of Steber’s, both of which were born out of a love for illustrating modern times through a historical lens.
The Chattanooga Run Club is a group of individuals who value community and welcome new runners with open arms. Drew White speaks with Lucas Gallon, founder of the club, about the club’s impact on the Chattanooga area and the people who attend.
The low patter of footsteps and the occasional labored breath can be heard throughout downtown Chattanooga. A group of strangers gather due to their shared interest in running, but in the process, they gain community.
Those exploring North Chattanooga early Saturday morning might run into the Chattanooga Run Club.
The idea that someone actively chooses to push their body in a way that causes their heart to race, blood to pulse, and sweat to drip can seem daunting to some. The Chattanooga Run Club aims to change that perspective on running. According to the club’s founder, Lucas Gallon, the club prides itself on welcoming all speeds and experience levels.
Rising Rock is excited to showcase some of our best audio stories in a continued partnership with Scenic Roots. To listen to Scenic Roots, visit https://www.wutc.org/scenic-roots.
Tiny Bailarinas
Ava Nessell spoke with Wendy Reynoso, the student success and services coordinator at La Paz Chattanooga, about her experience finding a community in Chattanooga after immigrating from Guatemala.
Brooke McFarlin cleans a surface for one of her clients for her business, College Cleaners. Sunday, December 3, 2023. (Photo by Elizabeth Wynne)
Starting a business is never easy. At a young age, it is even more of a challenge, but it can be done.
Founded by Brooke McFarlin, a sophomore in college at The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, College Cleaners is an opportunity for students around the Chattanooga area to pick up a side gig in their busy schedule, while also providing a cleaning service for those looking for an affordable option.
Rising Rock is excited to partner with Scenic Roots at WUTC again this semester to showcase some of our top audio stories. To listen to Scenic Roots, visit https://www.wutc.org/scenic-roots.
Here, you can listen to all of the audio pieces written and recorded by UTC students in Rising Rock during the Fall 2023 semester.
Welcome Home
During Larry Taylor’s Welcome Home Parade recognizing his receiving of the Medal of Honor, Lillian Simcox performs street interviews with spectators including Veterans and active military members.
The Letter
David Harman reads the letter that Dave Hill sent to the Army Board for Correction of Military Records (ABCMR) to upgrade Larry Taylor’s Silver Star to the Medal of Honor. Narrated by Taylor McKinley.
Honored Heritage
Steven Thomas enjoys his position as Director of Operations at the Heritage Center, but the lively historian has deeper motivations. Thomas sat down with Eli Rushing to discuss why this specific opportunity called to him.
Uncle Doss’ Legacy
Katie Stephens spoke with Desmond Doss Jr. regarding his mother and her impact on the Rising Fawn community as well as on her husband, Desmond Doss.
Flying Behind a Hometown Hero
Madeline Charnes sat down with Donald Smith to explain the intricacies of the benefits program and how difficult it is for veterans to receive the assistance they may not even know they need.
Rocking the Rodeo Scene
Bethany Cothran spoke with Stetson Bierman, good friend of West Mitchell, over Zoom about Bierman’s bareback bronc riding experience.
Creativity Behind Bars
Caleb McCool spoke with Francis McDonald about the power of poetry for inmates in her program.
A Game of Miracles
Elizabeth Wynne sat down with Alex Tainch, the main announcer of the Miracle League to discuss the importance the league has on those involved beyond only the athletes.
Hannah Wilson began teaching at Soddy Daisy High School in August 2023. As the only autistic teacher with a service dog she has ever seen, Wilson works to provide a safe space where all students, no matter who they are, can find a sense of belonging.
The smells of cafeteria food and teenage angst would be overwhelming to many, but to Soddy Daisy High School’s autistic ninth grade English teacher Hannah Wilson, the locker-lined hallways are more like home.
“[School] provided a really good structure for me and people with autism often need a lot of structure to keep them going or they get kind of off the rails,” Wilson said. “So I really like that structure and then I kind of fell in love with English.”
After a day of teaching, Wilson recognized that she has come a long way since she was first diagnosed with autism in seventh grade.
“Finally getting that diagnosis was like an eye opening experience for me because like…other people experience the things that I’m experiencing,” Wilson said. “I’m not losing my mind, and I just need a little bit extra support in some places and some places are just not my area.”
