Princess Rogers named Volunteer 40 Under 40 recipient
School of Journalism and Media alumna and 2025 Volunteer 40 Under 40 recipient Princess Rogers poses with her book From the Crushing to the Crown, which details how she coped with the murder of her father, relationship heartache, and career struggles.
Princess Rogers (‘09) can still remember the first time she learned what lawyers do.
She was in the third grade when her school invited various speakers to come speak for career day. Among the speakers was a lawyer who shared how his favorite thing about the profession is helping people.
That interaction inspired Rogers to pursue law as a profession as she, too, wanted to help people. Her innate compassion became a driving force that led to a successful career in law.
Her success and servant leadership has earned her a spot as part of this year’s Volunteer 40 Under 40 cohort. The Volunteer 40 Under 40 program celebrates University of Tennessee, Knoxville, alumni who are 40 or younger and have excelled personally and professionally since completing their degree.
“I am beyond honored and extremely thankful for this opportunity. I realize my love and dedication for UT has not gone unnoticed,” Rogers said. “Seeing all the amazing people in the class, it still comes as a shocker that I am one of the 40 recipients. I cannot be more elated.”
While at UT, Rogers double majored in journalism and political science as part of her preparation for law school. She was active in the pre-law fraternity, Phi Alpha Delta, and was fortunate to also meet two great mentors while at UT, Keisha Moses and Alicia Cottrell.
Moses and Cottrell were UT law students working as graduate assistants at the Black Cultural Center when Rogers met them. She said they helped prepare her for what to expect when she got into law school and possible issues she may face along the way. But most importantly, she said they instilled in her the confidence she needed to pursue the profession.
“I felt covered and confident to see other Black female law students who had made it in my eyes,” Rogers said. “I was thankful that they poured into me at a time I was so unsure of my course in life. Seeing them, I knew it was possible.”
She would go on to complete her Juris Doctorate from Thomas M. Cooley School of Law and start practicing law.
Rogers is currently an assistant district attorney general for Metro Nashville Davidson County. She works in the juvenile court division and enjoys helping victims of crime and protecting the community, as well as assisting families with getting wayward youth back on the right track.
She holds several leadership roles including student outreach co-chair for the Napier-Looby Bar Association, and diversity committee co-chair for the Nashville Bar Association. She also serves as co-chair of the campus relations committee for the UT Black Alumni Council.
In addition to being an accomplished lawyer, Rogers is owner and chef of The King’s Palate Catering. She said cooking is an outlet for her when she feels stressed, adding it was during law school that she started contemplating doing it for more than just friends and family.
She is also a published author. Rogers wrote From the Crushing to the Crown, which details how she coped with the murder of her father, relationship heartache, and career struggles.
“My life has been testimony after testimony,” Rogers said. “While I didn’t originally want to write my story, I was moved to do so by God. I knew that other people had encountered obstacles, or likely will, and needed to know that God is able to get you through time and time again.”
She also spends time giving back to the community through Saving Our Daughters of Mt. Zion Baptist Church in Nashville, a mentoring program for young girls.
Rogers said she strives to live by the Volunteer Creed by putting others before herself while using her knowledge and skills to serve both in her professional and personal life.
“Being a Volunteer means being selfless and being a servant leader,” Rogers said. “I strive to carry the legacy of this amazing institute with me everywhere I go.”
Princess Rogers named Volunteer 40 Under 40 recipient written by Ernest Rollins and originally published on the College of Communication & Information site.