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\u201cThe \u201840 Under 40\u2019 event recognizes 40 individuals who are under 40 years old who make a big impact in our community,\u201d Holt said. \u201cIt really opened my eyes to what all of these people are doing in our community, as well as all of the work the chamber puts into each of these types of events.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Holt also assisted the chamber with the annual Wobble Gobble 5k, a run that goes through downtown Tullahoma and passes several historic locations. She helped get participants signed up and distributed T-shirts and numbers to runners. Helping with events gave Holt insight into the preparation required to host large community events, and she said it taught her the value of doing things correctly and on time. While she had always been a responsible student, practicing these things in a business setting was a valuable experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Holt tagged along with chamber members who went to other businesses to promote events or ask for sponsorships, which she said was initially intimidating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI had no idea how to just go up and talk to business owners in person. Watching how they did everything helped me develop those people skills and learn how to be professional,\u201d Holt said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Another skill Holt learned was editing photos, slideshows, and other graphics for social media. Holt said Kathryn Wiseman, marketing and membership director, taught her new ways to set up photos and presentations, and asked her to write content for their social media accounts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cShe would ask me what I thought would make their marketing efforts appeal more to a younger crowd,\u201d said Holt. \u201cThat was so exciting to me that they were letting me voice my opinion. I truly felt like they loved me there and that I was important to them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Holt\u2019s chamber experience prepared her well for college and for integrating into the business world. She said she would recommend the program to any student. The skills she learned there built upon the strengths she already possessed as a 4.0 GPA student, member of the National Honor Society, and a competitive high school athlete.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Holt is an avid softball player who has been playing the sport since she was 4 years old. She played for the Tullahoma Wildcats softball team all four years of high school, primarily as a catcher and outfielder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n During her junior year, their softball team won the district tournament and advanced to regionals. Then, in her senior year, she personally broke the school record for most runs scored in a season. Although they suffered a disappointing loss in the playoffs, the team still finished its season strong. Holt said her parents and coaches helped her anchor her identity and self-worth in who she was as a person, not just as a player, an important life lesson to carry forward into adulthood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now that she has graduated from Tullahoma High School, Holt is preparing to launch into her next venture \u2014 she has earned academic and athletic scholarships to play softball for the University of Virginia at Wise. After visiting and meeting the coach at the college, Karen Bitter, she knew she had found her home away from home. Holt plans to attend in the fall to play softball and study sports management with a minor in marketing. She has built a solid foundation for these goals through the chamber, her stellar academic career, and her time on the ball field. GN<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" KYLEE HOLT stands at ease in front of Tullahoma Area Chamber of Commerce members attending one of the monthly coffee meetings. She speaks eloquently, introducing herself and giving updates on her work and future goals. After months of participating in these events, she is confident speaking professionally in public, a newly acquired skill for the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":38,"featured_media":24309,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-24305","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-stories"],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/goodnewsmags.com\/tullahoma\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/09\/Story-1-photo1-3-1024x683.jpg\")