Impactful, impeccable, and unforgettable. These three words describe the multi-faceted trailblazer we all know as Brenda Cannon. Since childhood, Cannon has been destined for greatness. She was destined to showcase her talent for enriching those around her with words, songs, and knowledge.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A Franklin County native, Cannon grew up looking to pursue a career in the arts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI had dreams of singing and acting as a child,\u201d she said. \u201cI left Winchester, and my goal was to be some great actor or actress. I knew I wanted to do something in speech because I loved public speaking. However, when I got to [Tennessee State University], I realized that everybody in that division was good, and I wasn\u2019t half as good as I thought. College puts a different twist on everything for you; it puts everyone on a level playing field.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
But that realization would only make Cannon more determined to find a place where she could showcase her strengths. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI knew I had those skills and decided to package them and transfer them out of the theater into an area where I could thrive. If you swim upstream with your talents and skills, you can have a successful life and career. I harnessed all those things and shifted to communications, where I thrived. Still to this day, I love it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Her journey would take her to Motlow College, where she has worked for over 30 years. Currently serving as the executive director of community relations, Cannon said her job is a dream come true. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s been like a dream because this was always my goal,\u201d said Cannon. \u201cWorking in public relations was my professional goal. I love the connections, the people, and the opportunities it provides. I have the opportunity to interface with people on every level.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
She added that she is grateful for support from her peers and the connections she has made with college students. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s amazing the people you see, and they tell you about how you have helped them. Parents have also told me how I have impacted their child\u2019s life. While I may not remember every encounter or instance, knowing that I helped brings me joy. I know I was doing what I was supposed to while doing it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She also credits her mother, Mildred Cannon, and grandmother, Mary Blackwell, for who she is today. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMy mother was my role model,\u201d said Cannon. \u201cI grew up in a house of women. I lived with my mother and my grandmother. Those women taught us to be women. They were not formally educated or had college degrees, but they made sure all of us did. They got up every day going to jobs that paid minimum wage so we wouldn\u2019t have to do that. They taught us to love ourselves, our families, and God.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With the hope to always be impactful to those she encounters, Cannon said service is the price we all pay for the gift of life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhen I think about the things that have happened in my life and the people who have come into my life, I pray that I have been as kind, influential, and impactful in other people\u2019s lives as some people have been in my life,\u201d she said. \u201cSomething that I believe and use often is that service is the rent we pay for the gift of life. We can\u2019t pay for life even if we have billions of dollars. But I get up every day, serving, hoping to earn the blessings I have been given in this life.\u201d GN<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Since childhood, Brenda Cannon has been destined for greatness, showcasing her talent for enriching those around her with the arts.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":68,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5,73],"tags":[26],"class_list":["post-11961","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-stories","category-tullahoma","tag-february"],"yoast_head":"\n