Monroe Made: Catherine Dailey Neal

Catherine Dailey Neal is a 2000 graduate of Sequoyah High School. She is a Certified Physician Assistant and Professor at Lincoln Memorial University, where she serves as Director of Didactic Education. After graduating from Sequoyah, she earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Tennessee, her master’s degree from South College, and her Doctorate of Medical Science from Lincoln Memorial University in 2024.

Catherine credits her Monroe County education and the teachers who invested in her with building the foundation for her success. She remembers making pueblos and Mexican hot chocolate in Mrs. Sloan’s second-grade classroom and looking forward to Mrs. Shoopman reading Bridge to Terabithia to her fourth-grade class.

Those meaningful relationships continued at Sequoyah. During her junior year, Catherine won the Fort Loudoun Electric Cooperative Essay Contest and earned a trip to Washington, D.C. She chose her volleyball coach, Lisa Borden, to accompany her, and the two shared an unforgettable experience exploring the nation’s capital. She also remembers performing experiments with Bunsen burners in Mrs. Standridge’s chemistry class and Mrs. Gray patiently working problem after problem on transparency sheets in Calculus until her students understood.

“Throughout my entire time in the Monroe County school system, my teachers really cared about us not only as students, but on a personal level as well,” Catherine said. “They wanted us to learn, but even more than that, they wanted us to enjoy learning.”

Catherine carried those lessons into a career of serving others. She spent 10 years as a Pulmonary/Critical Care hospitalist Physician Assistant at Parkwest Medical Center, including serving on the front lines during the COVID pandemic. Five years ago, she transitioned into higher education, where she now prepares future physician assistants for their own careers.

Catherine says her Monroe County education gave her confidence, independence, opportunity, and, most importantly, purpose. Her story is a wonderful reminder of the lasting influence teachers can have on their students. Catherine Dailey Neal is a shining example of what being Monroe Made is all about.