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Decorated Tech alumnus, Medal of Valor recipient shares campus memories and advice to students on university podcast
Tennessee Tech alumnus Dr. Sean Ochsenbein
A decorated Tennessee Tech University alumnus shared his memories of campus, recounted
a momentous White House visit and offered advice to students on the latest episode of Tech’s “College Town Talk” podcast.
Cookeville native Sean Ochsenbein, MD, graduated Tech in 2011 – but not before earning
an impressive list of accomplishments that included the Derryberry Award, Tech’s highest
student honor, and serving as both student body president and student trustee.
Ochsenbein’s most notable honor came in 2018 when he was awarded the Public Safety
Officer Medal of Valor at a White House ceremony from then-President Donald Trump
for courageously rescuing a man trapped inside a burning vehicle near Johnson City,
Tennessee.
Created in 2001 by Congress, the Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor is awarded annually
by the President or Vice President in recognition of first responders who demonstrate
extraordinary acts of bravery in service to their communities.
At the time of his award, Ochsenbein was an off-duty first responder with the Putnam
County Rescue Squad. Today he serves as chief medical officer for several eastern-Tennessee
hospitals affiliated with Ballad Health.
Speaking with Tech podcast hosts Jonathan Frank and Shan Stout, Ochsenbein said he
saw service and sacrifice modeled for him by several Upper Cumberland leaders, including
former Putnam County Emergency Management Agency Director Tyler Smith and Putnam County
Rescue Squad Assistant Chief David Anderson. Smith recently stepped down into a deputy
director role after 27 years at the agency’s helm.
“I was watching these individuals that had families and big careers getting up in
the middle of the night and performing service to the community, not asking for anything
back,” said Ochsenbein. “That is something that really imprinted on me.”
Ochsenbein also reflected on his February 2018 visit to the White House to receive
his Medal of Valor award.
“Someone like myself never would expect to be in the White House,” said Ochsenbein,
who recalled being struck by the freedom guests had to explore the storied residence.
“They really did trust us to roam around everywhere."
Ochsenbein receives the Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor award from then-President
Donald Trump.
Ochsenbein additionally recounted a surprisingly “normal” conversation with then-CIA
Director Mike Pompeo, adding “It just motivated me as a person, being there, to be
around those people, that life is precious, time is precious and to work hard for
those around you because all of those people there were doing that.”
Speaking directly to Tech students, Ochsenbein challenged Golden Eagles to “set the
bar for yourself very high,” adding, “If you have a dream or if something makes you
happy in life, then you need to chase after that with every bit of spirit you have.”
As chief medical officer for Ballad Health serving three hospitals in the Tri-Cities
region of Tennessee, Ochsenbein is taking his own advice. He calls his career in medicine
“an honor” and “truly a calling.”
While Ochsenbein now resides in East Tennessee, the former Cookeville local has only
positive memories of Tennessee’s College Town.
“Everyone had this love for students, and they were willing to do anything to make
sure that they were successful,” remarked Ochsenbein of his time at Tech. “Cookeville
and the Upper Cumberland supported Tennessee Tech in a way where, when you were there
as a student, you felt a part of the community and you felt like you lived there way
more than four years.”
“When I was walking around campus at the end of my four years and people knowing me
by name – me being able to say hello and giving hugs to them walking through campus
– that is something that I’ve never forgotten,” said Ochsenbein.
College Town Talk is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Pandora
and other platforms. Recent guests have included Putnam County Mayor Randy Porter,
Cookeville Mayor Laurin Wheaton, State Representative Ryan Williams, Tech Provost
Lori Mann Bruce, Nashville Public Television President and CEO Becky Magura, Soul
Craft Coffee owner Anna Dunn, Tech Chief Diversity Officer Robert Owens and others.
Learn more at tntech.edu/collegetowntalk.
