Health-care executive and entrepreneur Tonya Parson of Memphis will deliver the commencement address Saturday, May 2, during morning and afternoon commencement ceremonies at the University of Tennessee at Martin. The ceremonies will be held at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. in the Kathleen and Tom Elam Center. Tickets are not required to attend either ceremony. Doors will open 45 minutes before each event begins.
Parson, a nurse practitioner, has more than 20 years of experience in nursing, health-care leadership, wellness education and community outreach. She spent a significant portion of her career at Saint Francis Hospital in Memphis, where she served as coordinator of the medical response team and helped expand the initiative across the Tenet Hospital Group.
Parson also practiced as a primary care provider with Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare for 13 years and has built multiple health care-focused businesses alongside her husband, Mario Parson, including Passport Health and NP Cares, LLC. Most recently, she launched an additional clinic focused on wellness, hormone replacement and preventive care.
She has been recognized as one of the Top 100 Nurses in Shelby County, “Caregiver of the Year” by the Tennessee Hospital Association, and recipient of the Nurse of Distinction Award. Under her leadership, Saint Francis was named a Mentor Hospital by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement.
Parson earned her Bachelor of Science in Biology from UT Martin, her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Baptist College of Health Sciences, and her Master of Science in Nursing with a focus in acute and critical care from the UT Health Science Center. She holds certifications in Critical Care Nursing and Fundamentals of Critical Care.
Parson served as president of the UT Martin Black Alumni Association, as a member of the UT Alumni Association Women’s Council, and received UT Martin’s 2018 Outstanding Alumni Award. She was also a member of the UT Alumni Association Board of Governors.
She and her husband have two children: LaDarius, a 2024 UT Martin graduate, and Tania, who currently attends the university.
Dr. Yancy Freeman Sr., UT Martin chancellor, will preside over the two ceremonies and confer degrees. Brian Daniels, UT System chief audit and compliance officer, will bring greetings from the system and represent UT President Randy Boyd. A sign-language interpreter will provide services for the hearing impaired during both commencement events.
The 10 a.m. ceremony will include undergraduate and graduate-degree candidates from the colleges of agriculture and applied sciences, business and global affairs, engineering and natural sciences, and humanities and fine arts.
The 2 p.m. ceremony will include undergraduate and graduate-degree candidates from the College of Education, Health and Behavioral Sciences. Each ceremony will be livestreamed and archived for later viewing on YouTube at www.youtube.com/utmartin. Contact the UT Martin Office of University Relations at 731-881-7615 for additional commencement information.
