GREENEVILLE – Freshly minted career-ready professionals and those who have expanded their knowledge for potential advancement are ready to make their mark after walking across the stage during Tusculum University’s fall graduation Saturday, Dec. 14.
Chris Stephenson, right, celebrates with Dr. Scott Hummel, Tusculum’s president, after walking the stage.
Dr. Peggy Goodson-Rochelle, left, hoods master’s degree recipient Brandon McKay, during graduation.
More than 100 students, who hail from 10 states and four countries, completed the requirements for bachelor’s, master’s and associate degrees in the fall semester. About a dozen more who were eligible to participate in the commencement ceremony after finishing their coursework in August came back to celebrate their achievement. The smiles, cheers and sense of satisfaction were abundant throughout Pioneer Arena.
“We were thrilled to honor these students for their diligence in earning their degrees,” said Dr. Scott Hummel, Tusculum’s president. “They have received an outstanding education, filled with active and experiential learning in a caring Christian environment that has empowered them to achieve their academic goals. We have been impressed with their pioneering spirit, their dedication to their studies and their holistic development as individuals and are excited to watch their lives unfold as alumni.”
Undergraduate speaker
One of the students who has made an impact is Evie Winfrey, who graduated from Tusculum with a Bachelor of Science in business administration with an accounting major and honors and economics minors. She will pursue a master’s degree in accounting, specializing in taxation and tax law with a long-term aspiration of working for one of the Big Four accounting firms.
She finished her Tusculum studies as president of the Student Government Association, for which she had previously served as secretary. She was also a Pioneer Peer for three years, helping new students adjust to collegiate life; as a member of The Bonner Leaders Program, a service-oriented group and one of the most engaged on campus for two years; and as manager of the women’s lacrosse team for two years. She also served earlier this year as a member of the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance team, which provides free income tax return preparation for eligible community members.
Winfrey was the undergraduate student speaker at Tusculum’s graduation and expressed thanks to God for the honor of serving in this role. She told her fellow graduates that God will guide them to the place they are meant to be.
Evie Winfrey speaks during Tusculum’s graduation.
Left to right, Taylor West, Alex Bergquist, Evie Winfrey and Maddie Creswell relax before the start of graduation. Winfrey was the undergraduate student speaker.
“We come into this world with no idea what’s happening, learning as we go, with no guidebook telling us how to get it right,” Winfrey said. “It’s everyone’s first time living, We’re bound to make mistakes. But I think of it in this way: Our life is a seed. Every person we meet, every new place we experience, every memory we hold dear to us and every mistake we make is essential to our growth. It’s our water, our sunlight and our soil.”
She said the key is to choose how to respond to what transpires in life.
“We, as students about to graduate with our various degrees, may be feeling like life is at a standstill because it’s a terrifyingly beautiful time for all of us,” Winfrey said. “We’re young adults, making big decisions, going out into the big world. We definitely don’t have everything figured out, as much as we may think we do. However, here we are despite what we thought could have or should have happened and despite what we’ve gone through to get here. We took our seed and grew a forest. If we can do that now, imagine what we can go on to accomplish.”
The speaker for the master’s degree recipients was Sylena Harmon, who earned a Master of Arts in organizational training and performance management. She is the executive assistant to the director of facilities and operations at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. She plans to leverage the skills and knowledge attained through her master’s studies to enhance her employer’s administrative training and educational opportunities.
Student Support Services and ARCHES
Some of the staff and participants in the Student Support Services and ARCHES programs take time for a photo before graduation. They are, left to right, Rachael Barnett, Patrick Coleman, Stephan Nava, Amy Williams, Katie Williams, Juliana Ailyn Flores Martinez and Rose Webb.
Dr. Scott Hummel, who was a first-generation student and is now Tusculum’s president, speaks during graduation.
Harmon also earned her bachelor’s in business administration, majoring in management and accounting, from Tusculum in 2023. As an undergraduate student, she participated in the ARCHES program, which provides free services to first-generation students, those who come from lower-income backgrounds or have a disability. Students whose parents or guardians do not have a bachelor’s degree are classified as first-generation.
ARCHES participants are online students. Traditional students who meet the same criteria are eligible to participate in Student Support Services. The two programs serve undergraduate students.
SSS and ARCHES provide academic advising, financial literacy education, assistance with the FAFSA, graduate school advising and counseling as well as tutoring. Participants also can take free trips that incorporate cultural activities and visits to graduate school programs. Among the cities SSS has visited in recent years are New York and New Orleans.
Among all of Tusculum’s graduates Saturday, 24% were in either SSS or ARCHES. Among that group, 20% of the master’s degree graduates were in SSS or ARCHES as undergraduates at Tusculum.
Comments from the master’s degree representative
Sylena Harmon speaks during graduation.
Left to right, Farrah Tate, Kim Jones, Sylena Harmon and Justin Slone enjoy time together before the ceremony. All of the graduated Saturday from the Master of Arts in organizational training and performance management. Harmon was the master’s student speaker at commencement.
Harmon called her invitation to speak at graduation an “immense privilege.”
“You’ve reached a milestone that is not easily attained, and I hope you take a moment to bask in the significance of this achievement,” she told her fellow graduates. “The late nights, challenging exams and long study hours all led to today. But as we look around this room, we know this moment wasn’t achieved in isolation. Behind every success is a community – a family, a group of friends, mentors and professors who helped shape you into who you are today.”
She also highlighted the impact of Hurricane Helene on the region. She discussed the monumental damage that occurred but also the positive elements that emerged – a collective spirit of resilience, compassion and unwavering unity. She noted that many people in the arena assisted with the recovery efforts, showing what it means to be a Tusculum family member, the region and the broader human family. She said they became the hands and feet of God.
Harmon then applied the lessons from Helene to everyday life.
“As you graduate today, you will no doubt face your own storms in the world beyond Tusculum,” she said. “Some will be personal, others professional. There will be moments of uncertainty, times when the road ahead seems unclear. But know this: you carry within you the lessons of resilience and the power of community that you’ve built here. You have proven that you have the courage to face challenges head-on, the wisdom to adapt and the strength to rebuild – no matter how daunting the task may seem.”
Football players celebrate after graduation.
Dr. David Cook, Tusculum’s provost and vice president of academic affairs, speaks during graduation.
Dr. David Cook, Tusculum’s provost and vice president of academic affairs, congratulated the graduates and said the university is excited to see where God takes them.
“Your legacy at Tusculum University is not built solely on what you accomplished while you were students here but also by what you will achieve in the future,” he said. “We hope that the Christian care you received at Tusculum will be a springboard for you to go and serve your community in a mighty way. Just as you were poured into by faculty and staff who loved you, we hope you will pour into the lives of people in your community.”
The graduation ceremony is accessible on demand at https://bit.ly/3W2RrYj.
Tusculum offers 60 academic programs, including majors, minors and certificates, in both liberal arts and pre-professional programs. The university is accepting applications for spring, summer and fall. To apply, please visit https://site.tusculum.edu/apply-visit/apply/. More information about the university is available at www.tusculum.edu.