About 35 alumni from the Tri-Cities region gathered June 20 at the Meadowview Conference Center in Kingsport to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Graduate and Professional Studies program.
To mark this milestone, the Office of Alumni and Parent Relations has worked with groups of volunteer alumni to organize celebrations in the four major regions served by the program that provides working adults a way to meet their educational goals while maintaining their family and work commitments.
The Tri-Cities celebration is the second of the celebrations. A celebration in Knoxville in late April brought out about 50 alumni and students. The staff at the Knoxville Regional Center was heavily involved in the planning and preparations of the celebration, a cookout held at the Knoxville site.
Last Saturday, alumni from the Tri-Cities gathered for fun, fellowship and some heavy hors d’oeuvres in Kingsport for the second event at the Meadowview Conference Center.
The third event is set for this Friday, June 26, in Morristown at The Country Club from 5:25 p.m. to 7:25 p.m. The event will feature a celebration reception with a chance to meet and mingle with others associated with the GPS program, as well as a brief overview of the current professional studies mission and programs.
“We hope to see all the alumni of the GPS program for the Morristown area come out and celebrate this milestone for a program that has helped so many attain their dream of higher education,” said Peggy Brewer, president of Twi-Lite, Inc. and a 1989 graduate of the GPS program. Brewer has served on the planning committee for the event.
The event is planned for all GPS graduates, including those who participated in the TALL and TAG programs, as well as for faculty, staff, current students and all who have helped this program develop into one of the top adult education programs in the state over the past 25 years.
Since 1984, more than 10,000 working adults have realized their dreams by earning a bachelor’s or master’s degree at Tusculum College. The program is specifically designed with working adults in mind, allowing them to continue to work while achieving their dream of higher education.
“We are celebrating 25 years of making dreams of a college education come true for non-traditional students,” said Dr. Lisa Johnson, director of the Graduate and Professional Studies Program in Northeast Tennessee and assistant professor of education at the College.
“Tusculum College has helped many of us complete our degrees while working full-time. For 25 years this program has helped working adults advance their education. And, this year, we celebrate the success not only of the program, but of the students,” said Sherri Storer, site director of the Morristown Center and enrollment representative, as well as a GPS graduate in both in 2003 and 2006. Storer has also participated on the planning committee for the Tri-Cities event.
The event is free of charge, however, registration is encouraged.
The Graduate and Professional Studies portion of the Tusculum College Web site has been redesigned to provide information on all the 25th Anniversary events and to allow for online registration. On the site, visitors are able to get information on each of the events, register for one or more events and see a list of those who are planning to attend each event. For more information about the celebrations, to make reservations or get updates on the events, please visit www.tusculum.edu/adult/anniversary.html.
“This is a year-long celebration of all the successes of the Graduate and Professional Studies program, and there are many exciting things planned,” said Teal Simpson, also a member of the planning committee and a 1998 and 1999 graduate of the GPS program. Simpson is a benefits consultant for Strate Insurance Group, Inc.
The culminating event for the year-long celebration will be a tailgate party and football game event in Greeneville, set for October 17.
For more information about the GPS celebrations contact Cody Greene, coordinator of development and alumni relations at Tusculum College at 423-636-7303 or email ccgreene@tusculum.edu.