GREENEVILLE – Prospective students and their families who are interested in learning more about Tusculum University’s degrees and campus life have another venue to access this all-encompassing story.
Left to right, cast members Kobe Funderburk, Stephen Brewer and Grayson Patterson arrive on the orange carpet for the premiere.
The episode of “The College Tour,” a national show, featuring Tusculum is now streaming on Amazon Prime as part of Season 11. Those who subscribe to this service can watch the 29-minute episode, which presents the stories of 10 students and alumni sharing the strengths of Tusculum and the region from a variety of perspectives.
“We are thrilled people will learn through Amazon Prime about the ways we prepare students in a caring Christian environment to be career-ready, civically engaged professionals,” said Dr. Jacob Fait, vice president of enrollment management and financial aid. “The terrific stories shared by our students and alumni are compelling and reinforce the pioneering spirit that makes Tusculum the right choice to earn a degree.”
Dr. Fait took the lead to collaborate with “The College Tour” to film the episode and teamed with other stakeholders on campus as well as those who appeared on the show to present the story of Tusculum, Tennessee’s first university.
Representatives of “The College Tour” filmed the episode on the historic campus in October, and the university premiered the episode to a packed house at The Capitol Theatre in downtown Greeneville in February. The atmosphere inside the facility on premiere day was electric, with cheering and smiles abounding as the 10 informative segments played on the screen. The event featured an orange carpet for entry to the Capitol in line with one of the university’s two colors.
The cast consisted of students David Bowlin, Stephen Brewer, Isabelle Delbridge, Kobe Funderburk, Josie Norton, Grayson Patterson, Xavier Velazquez, Maggie Vickers and Todd Wallin and alumnus Dionté Grey, a 2012 graduate. Bowlin, Delbridge, Funderburk, Patterson and Vickers have since earned their bachelor’s degrees from the university.
Each cast member discussed a different aspect of the Tusculum experience, such as active and experiential learning, affordability, athletics, the arts, civic engagement and the opportunity to grow in faith. The beauty of the campus and the rest of East Tennessee and the ability to have fun in one of the more historic regions of the country was another message. Grey highlighted how he used the lessons he learned at Tusculum to make a difference in the community as executive director of UrbanPromise Los Angeles.
Todd Wallin, right, prepares with crew members from “The College Tour” for his segment.
Alex Boylan, the show’s host, introduced and followed up each segment with additional detail about the students, alumni and university.
“This outstanding episode reflects the abundant strengths of Tusculum and demonstrates how a Tusculum education enriches and transforms students’ lives,” said Dr. Scott Hummel, Tusculum’s president. “Tusculum is a gem, and we are delighted to work with ‘The College Tour’ to share the preciousness of our university to national and international audiences. Our expert faculty and dedicated staff are ready to help future students achieve their academic and career aspirations and be prepared for success with their calling and purpose.”
To access Season 11 on Amazon Prime, please visit https://amzn.to/4bT0z79. In addition, people can view the episode at https://site.tusculum.edu/the-college-tour/. People can watch a conversation between Dr. Hummel and Boylan at https://vimeo.com/876163587. A discussion between Boylan and J’Quen Johnson, Tusculum’s assistant director of graduate and online enrollment, about admission is available at https://vimeo.com/876195196. Boylan and Dr. Fait talk about financial aid at https://vimeo.com/876211612.
To apply to Tusculum, please visit https://site.tusculum.edu/apply-visit/apply/. More information about the university is available at www.tusculum.edu. People can learn more about “The College Tour” at https://www.thecollegetour.com/.