By Sydney McCallister, freshman English and History major from Greeneville

Nicole Wilkerson, a senior at Tusculum, has been accepted into the Walt Disney Company’s Disney College Program as an intern.

Wilkerson, a graphic design major from Loudon, applied for and was accepted into the Disney College Program, a five to seven month program in which college students gain on-the-job experience in their preferred area of expertise and create a network of leaders and companies from all over the world. Graphic design will also be her focus in the Disney College Program.

Nicole Wilkerson

“Just apply, you never know what will happen,” said Wilkerson, who encourages others to make the attempt to apply for something that they dream of doing.

Robin Lay, director of Career Services at Tusculum, has helped students prepare for the application process since 2013. Lay’s advice to students interested in applying for a Disney internship is “research the website, prepare well and meet the deadlines for application.” Lay continued, “I recommend that students don’t wait until the last minute. The preparation process usually takes longer than they expect, but they can do it.”

“Nicole is a very self-directed person and it was pretty clear what she wanted to do,” said William Bledsoe, visiting assistant professor of visual communications and design. “Students should go above and beyond what is asked of them in class. If I asked Nicole to do one project, she’d do three.”

Wilkerson will be moving to Florida in August to begin her work at Disney as a photo pass photographer.

Riley Church, a senior at Maryville High School, has been named one of only two recipients of the Tusculum Trustee Honors Scholarship.

Church will be one the first two students to receive the full-tuition Trustee Scholarship that is designed to help academically motivated students have a new opportunity to eliminate tuition expenses.

He is the son of Paige and Keith Church and has a brother Reuben, a sophomore at Maryville High.

Qualifying, interested and academically motivated students, may apply for the Trustee Honors Scholarship, which is awarded annually. This is a highly competitive, full-tuition scholarship which will be awarded to no more than two students in each incoming class.

“Through the Trustee Honors Scholarship, students with high academic achievement have the opportunity to attend Tusculum with no out-of-pocket tuition expenses,” said Dr. Paul Pinckley, vice president of enrollment management, marketing and financial aid.

Church is planning on majoring in nursing and then continuing on to the Master of Science in Nursing, family nurse practitioner program for graduate school. He has planned on the health care field for a long time and just recently passed the exam to become a Certified Nursing Assistant through a program at Maryville High.

“This scholarship is a big help financially, and I probably wouldn’t have been able to attend Tusculum without it,” said Church. “Tusculum is everything I was looking for in a school – close to home, the campus is beautiful and they have a strong nursing program.”

To be considered for this prestigious scholarship, prospective students will need to complete the following steps: maintain a high school grade-point average of 3.5 or higher; attain a composite score of at least 25 on the ACT or 1150 on the SAT; rank in the top 10 percent of high school graduating class; complete the general Tusculum application for admission and submit supporting documentation for that application;

Qualifying students will also participate in Tusculum’s Honors Program, which focuses on promoting cross-discipline dialogue between students and allowing participants to create a personalized plan of study that will lead to unique experiences designed to benefit students’ individual goals.

For more information, contact Melissa Ripley, executive director of enrollment management and traditional admission at 423.636.7374 or email mripley@tusculum.edu.

From left, seated are Paige Church, Riley Church, Dr. James Hurley and Keith Church. Standing is Reuben Church

Winners of Tusculum’s 208 Curtis and Billie Owens Literary Awards were announced in March.

The awards, which are given annually to recognize the literary achievements of the college’s students, are open to all Tusculum students.

In the category of poetry, the winner was Rachel Swatzell, a sophomore from Greeneville, with her entry “Pink.” Honorable mention was given to Tyler Brown, a senior from Rockwood, for his work, “What If.”

In nonfiction, first place went to Taylor Rose, a junior from Fayetteville, North Carolina, for her essay, “Growing Gardens.” Honorable mention went to Rebekah Voiles, a senior from Morristown, for “Eye Contact.”

The winner in the fiction category was Jazmyn Bishop, a sophomore from Rogersville, for “Half of Me.” Honorable mention went to Kristen Wiggins, a senior from Johnson City.

The winners will read their selections at the Tusculum Review Launch Party to be scheduled for later this spring.

The Curtis and Billie Owens Literary Awards are annually given to recognize the literary achievements of Tusculum College’s creative writing students. The literary award was named for Curtis Owens, a 1928 graduate of Tusculum who went on to a teaching career at what is now Pace University in New York. He and his wife established the award at his alma mater to encourage and reward excellence in writing among Tusculum students.

The event also featured readings by contest judge Ethel Morgan Smith, and was part of the Humanities Series, sponsored by the Tusculum English Department.

Ethel Morgan Smith is the author of two books: “From Whence Cometh My Help: The African American Community at Hollins College” and “Reflections of the Other: Being Black in Germany.” She has also published in “The New York Times,” “Callaloo,” “African American Review” and other national and international outlets.

Pictured are from left to right, Rebekah Voiles (honorable mention, nonfiction), Rachel Swatzell (winner, poetry), Tyler Brown (honorable mention, poetry), Taylor Rose (winner, nonfiction) and Jazmyn Bishop (winner, fiction).

The Old Oak Festival returns to the Tusculum campus April 20-22.

This year’s festival will feature a wide variety of music, food and fun and will span three days, providing something for everyone, including live music, theater, arts and crafts or fabulous festival food.

“This festival is going to be wide ranging with opportunities that will allow visitors to experience the arts in a number of ways, as well as provide opportunities to eat, shop and enjoy a wide variety of entertainment,” said Nicole Rader, director of alumni engagement at Tusculum. “Music, theater, art showings and book signings are just a few of the arts we are featuring at this year’s festival.”

Throughout the weekend on stage, the music will present the sounds of the region, with a wide variety of music from bluegrass to jazz featuring local vocalists and instrumentalists. Sunday will feature gospel music on all stages.

Fire in the Kitchen

This year’s special events will include an art show at Allison Gallery, theater performances by GLAWPIGT (Great Literature Alive, Well and Playing In Greeneville Tennessee) and a historical Lego building contest.

The Allison Gallery will feature recent work by local artist Clem Allison, with a focus on aspects of the Tusculum campus. Allison previously served as art department chairman and director of the Division of Arts and Humanities until his retirement as professor emeritus of art in 2000.

Local artist Nic Hankins will also be on site on Sunday at 1 p.m. to provide an interactive painting demonstration.

The 2018 Old Oak Festival will also provide an opportunity for one-on-one interaction with local authors. Authors’ Row gives the public an opportunity to explore the works of local authors and talk to them about their work. The authors will be located in the lobby of the Pioneer Arena during the festival and will be signing works.

The youth theater group, GLAWPIGT, which is celebrating its 30^th anniversary, will showcase the young talent of the Greeneville and Greene County school systems with special performances each day during the festival.

The Third Annual LEGO Historical Building contest offers the opportunity for entrants to building their own historical structure. This year’s theme is American History. Registration begins on April 1. Anyone interested may sign up at https://www.facebook.com/events/157242611642193/.

Prizes will be awarded in five categories: Kindergarten- Grade 2, Grades 3-5, Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12 and Adults. Within each category there will be three winners: 1st Place, Runner-up, and Crowd Favorite. The judging will be held on Saturday, April 21, from 1-3 p.m., and the Awards Ceremony will be Sunday, April 22, at 3 p.m. at the Doak House Museum.

Tusculum’s President Andrew Johnson Museum and Library will feature a new exhibit, “Tusculum at 225,” which will open to the public on April 20 and run throughout the festival. The museum exhibit is part of the celebration of the 225 birthday of Tusculum.

Tusculum museum studies students, under the leadership of Dr. Peter Noll, associate professor of public history and museum studies, have been hard at work creating a new exhibit that explores the storied history of Tennessee’s oldest institution of higher learning.

“Tusculum at 225” will be open to the public beginning April 20.

“Working on the new exhibit has been an insightful experience in more than just the research aspect,” said Alex Rollison, senior museum studies student. “Creating interpretative panels and building exhibit components is fantastic real world experience. While researching my time period I was able to learn more about the civic arts that Tusculum has put an emphasis on in the last 30 years.”

During the festival, the President Andrew Johnson Museum and Library and the Doak House Museum will operate on extended operating hours. They will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday, April 20, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, April 21, and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, April 22 (Doak House Museum only).

Additionally, 19th century style toys and games will be available in a special children’s area on the lawn near the Thomas J. Garland Library on Saturday from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. The games will be supervised by a service learning class from Tusculum.

Medic Regional Blood Center will hold a blood drive behind Haynes Hall from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday.

There is no fee to attend the festival. Art vendor hours will be Friday from noon until 6 p.m., Saturday from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Entertainment and food continues into the evening.

For more information, contact the Office of Institutional Advancement at 423-636-7303.

Service animals are welcome; however, no pets allowed. Coolers, firearms and alcohol are also prohibited on Tusculum College campus property during the festival. Lawn chairs and blankets are encouraged.

The 2018 Old Oak Festival is sponsored by Eastman Credit Union, Greeneville Light and Power System, the Greeneville Sun and Radio Greeneville.

For updates and more information, visit the website at www.oldoakfestival.org or on Facebook.

Tennessee adults who wish to pursue an associate degree now have access to additional financial aid through the Tennessee Reconnect program and may apply those dollars toward the online Associate of Arts degree at Tusculum.

Tennessee Reconnect builds off the Tennessee Promise program, which provides high school graduates two years of tuition-free college when enrolled in an associate’s degree or technical program, by establishing a last-dollar scholarship to earn an associate degree or technical certificate free of tuition or mandatory fees.

According to Dr. James Hurley, president of Tusculum, Tennessee Reconnect is opening doors to all Tennesseans.

“If you’re a Tennessee resident, there is no better time than now to enroll in a degree program and begin the path to making a positive change in your life,” said Dr. Hurley. “Through Tennessee Reconnect, the financial barriers are broken down to make higher education accessible to anyone with a desire to earn a degree.”

To be eligible for Tennessee Reconnect, a student must not already hold an associate or bachelor’s degree, must be a Tennessee resident for at least one year and be determined as an independent student on the FAFSA.

“We encourage adults considering an associate degree to explore Tusculum’s program. The benefits of pursuing an associate degree at a private institution are many,” said Lindsey Seal, director of Graduate and Professional Studies enrollment. “We are committed to offering an affordable education with flexible options for working and career-minded adults. Even if you are currently satisfied with your career, a degree can open up new doors for promotion and increase your earning potential.”

Anyone interested may contact Seal at 423.636.7300 to find out more about Tennessee Reconnect and Tusculum’s online associates degree program.