August move-in dates quickly approaching

It is almost time for students to begin returning to the residence halls. Check below for some of the necessities students need for their rooms.

The start of the fall 2015 semester is a little more than a month away, and students will begin moving in just a few weeks.

 

Bonner Leaders will be able to move into their rooms on Aug. 5. Students are advised to check with the organization’s adviser about check-in specifics.

 

Band camp for students in the Marching Band is Aug. 7 through 14 and students will be able to move into their rooms prior to the start of camp. Please check with the band director for specifics about check-in.

 

On August 12, students involved in fall sports (football, volleyball, men’s and women’s soccer, men’s and women’s cross country and cheerleading) will be returning to campus.  Check-in will be 9 a.m. to noon in Pioneer Arena.

 

New students will return to campus on Saturday, Aug. 15 with check-in from 9 a.m. to noon in the Pioneer Arena. Orientation activities for new students will begin that afternoon to help them make new friends and make a smooth transition to life on campus.

 

The first day of class is Wednesday, Aug. 19.

 

The scheduled Block Breaks and other dates when your student may be traveling home include:

Block 1 Break Sept. 12 – 15,

Block 2 Break Oct. 10 – 13,

Block 3 Break Nov. 7 – 10, and

Thanksgiving Break Nov. 25 – 29.

 

The winter break at the end of the semester will be Dec. 10 through Jan. 10. Winter Commencement will be Dec. 12.

 

Parents are invited to visit campus for Homecoming activities Oct. 9-10 and for Family Weekend, Nov. 6-7.

 

Residence Hall Necessities

“Back to School” sales have already begun. While all students need basic classroom supplies, what does your student need to settle successfully into residential life on the Tusculum campus?

For students living in a residence hall, necessities include extra-long twin sheets/linens, bath towels, shower shoes, laundry detergent, shower caddy, alarm clock, pillows, toiletries, laundry basket and cleaning supplies. Students also need to have a telephone of some type, a UL-approved surge protector and an Ethernet card and cord (needed for network access).

While not necessities, these items are recommended: a 3.1-cubic-foot or smaller refrigerator, microwave, computer, a dry-erase board, a fan, a stereo with no subwoofers, a television, microwavable dishes, iron/ironing board, coaxial cable, a coffee maker, can opener, lock box, under bed storage and a crock pot.  Students who live in the apartments are also permitted to bring George Foreman grills.

Items not allowed in the residence halls for safety reasons are extension cords, candles, incense, fireworks, hot plates, popcorn poppers, space heaters, toasters/toaster ovens, air conditioners and guns of any kind including pellet, water or paint guns.

 

Four Tusculum honorees named Capital One Academic All-Americans®

Four Tusculum College student-athletes have been named to 2014-2015 Capital One Academic All-America® lists. They include David Cooper, who was named to the Men’s Cross Country/Track & Field team, Calley Lawson, who was named to the Women’s At-Large team, and men’s tennis team members Lukas Winkelmann and Jonas Winkelmann, who were named to the Men’s At-Large team.

To be eligible for Academic All-America® consideration, a student-athlete must be a varsity starter or key reserve, maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.30 on a scale of 4.0, have reached sophomore athletic and academic standings at his/her current institution and be nominated by his/her sports information director. Since the program’s inception in 1952, the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) has bestowed Academic All-America® honors on more than 20,000 student-athletes in Divisions I, II, III and NAIA, covering all NCAA championship sports.

The Capital One Division II and III Academic All-America® program is being financially supported by the NCAA Division II and III national governance structures, to assist CoSIDA with handling the awards fulfillment aspects for the DII and DIII Academic All-America® teams program.

David Cooper

David Cooper

David Cooper has been named to the 2014-2015 Capital One Division II Academic All-America® Men’s Cross Country/Track & Field first team as selected by members of the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).

Cooper garners Academic All-America® honors for a third time, earning first team distinction in each of the last two years and second team honors as a sophomore. He becomes only the third Tusculum student-athlete to earn Academic All-America® accolades three times. He joins Tusculum men’s tennis All-American Lukas Winkelmann, who was a three-time Academic All-America® first team choice from 2013-2015 and fellow TC cross country great Simon Holzapfel (2008-2011).

Cooper graduated from Tusculum in May with a perfect 4.0 cumulative grade point average while majoring in biology. Cooper will be attending medical school at the East Tennessee State University Quillen College of Medicine in Johnson City starting next month. He is working to become an orthopaedic surgeon.

The Greeneville, Tennessee native is a two-time South Atlantic Conference Men’s Cross Country Scholar Athlete of the Year honoree, becoming only the seventh two-time recipient of the award in league history. Cooper is a member of the Alpha Chi Honors Society and earned the Tusculum College President’s Award this spring. He was also the recipient Tusculum Student-Athlete Academic Achievement Award for a third consecutive year. In 2012, he was the winner of the Tusculum Freshman of the Year Academic Award.

On the course, Cooper was a three-time All-SAC selection earning first team honors in 2012 and finished eighth at the conference championship in each of the last two years to garner second team recognition. In 2011, he was named to the SAC All-Freshman Team and was a four-year team captain.

He accounted for one of the finest running careers in Tusculum history. He owns 10 of the top-25 running times (8,000 meters) in program history, including two in the top-10. His career-best 8K time of 26:02 at the 2014 Greater Louisville Classic is the fourth-lowest ever by a Pioneer. He recorded three individual wins in his career and led TC to a pair of team titles as well.

Cooper has been involved in numerous campus and community leadership roles, serving with the Nettie Day of Service, the Greene County YMCA, the TC Athletic Judicial Board and the Greene County Humane Society. He also served as president of the Pioneer Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and was a past participant of the SAC Student-Athlete Leadership Conference.

Calley Lawson

Calley Lawson

Tusculum College women’s golfer Calley Lawson has been named to the 2015 Capital One NCAA Division II Academic All-America® Women’s At-Large third team.

Lawson becomes the second Tusculum women’s golfer to garner Academic All-America® distinction, joining former teammate Jillian Corum, who earned the honor in back-to-back seasons (2012, 2013).

Lawson, a native of Gaithersburg, Maryland, has a 4.00 cumulative grade point average while majoring in special education and early elementary education.

She posted an 86.21 stroke average, while competing in all 10 events this year, including a season-best eighth place showing at the inaugural Pioneer Classic.

At this year’s South Atlantic Conference championship, Lawson was named the 2015 recipient of the Bob Dibble Spirit of the Game Award, which is named in honor of the long-time Tusculum coach and is selected by the league’s women’s golf coaches.  The award recognizes the SAC women’s golf team member that demonstrates a genuine love of the game, outstanding character, leadership and places team before self.

 

Lawson has been named to the Women’s Golf Coaches Association (WGCA) All-America Scholar Team in each of the last three seasons and is also a two-time recipient of the Tusculum Student-Athlete Academic Achievement Award.

 

In her rookie season, she was named the winner of the Tusculum Freshman of the Year Academic Award.

Lukas and Jonas Winkelmann

Lukas Winkelmann

Tusculum College men’s tennis student-athletes Lukas and Jonas Winkelmann have been named to the 2014-2015 Capital One Academic All-America® Men’s At-Large team.

Lukas Winkelmann garners Academic All-America® first team honors for a third consecutive year, while his brother Jonas Winkelmann makes his debut on the Academic All-America® squad, receiving third team recognition.  This marks the first time in Tusculum and South Atlantic Conference history that two siblings have earned Academic All-America® distinction in the same academic year.

Lukas Winkelmann is the first Tusculum student-athlete to earn Academic All-America® honors on three occasions in a career. He was named this year’s recipient of the South Atlantic Conference Presidents Award, the most prestigious honor the league awards to its student-athletes.

 

In the classroom, the elder Winkelmann sported a 3.96 cumulative grade point average as a pre-medicine major.  The three-time SAC Men’s Tennis Scholar Athlete of the Year graduated from Tusculum last month with summa cum laude honors.

Lukas Winkelmann finished the season ranked 19th in the ITA singles rankings, becoming the first player in program history to garner All-America distinction.  He also becomes only the ninth SAC singles player to earn ITA All-America honors, fifth during the NCAA II era (since 1994) and the first since 1996.  He finished the season with a perfect 18-0 singles record at the top flight and finished his collegiate career with a 50-match regular season winning streak.

He was named the SAC Men’s Tennis Player of the Year for a third consecutive season, becoming the first three-time winner in league history. He finished his collegiate career with a 70-7 singles record and was a four-time All-SAC performer and was the SAC Freshman of the Year in 2012.

Lukas Winkelmann was also named the 2014-15 Tusculum College Male Athlete of the Year, becoming the first three-time winner of the award in school history and only the second Tusculum student-athlete overall to be named Athlete of the Year three times.

Jonas Winkelmann

Jonas Winkelmann, who has just completed his junior campaign with the Pioneers, sports a 3.61 cumulative GPA and is majoring in business administration.

On the court, the younger Winkelmann has posted a 15-5 singles record, including 8-3 in league play to earn All-SAC honors for a third consecutive year.  He owns a 47-13 career singles record and was selected as the SAC Player of the Week earlier this year.  He is also 53-8 in doubles as a Pioneer.

The Winkelmann brothers earned a doubles spot on the All-SAC first team for a second-consecutive season. This season was another stellar year for the Pioneer duo as they compiled a perfect 19-0 record. Only two teams have won at least six games against them and they have won five matches by surrendering three or less games.  The Winkelmanns finished the year listed ninth in the ITA Southeast Region doubles rankings.

Record number of Tusculum student-athletes on conference honor roll

One-hundred-and-twenty-nine Tusculum College student-athletes have been named to the 2014-2015 South Atlantic Conference Commissioner’s Honor Roll.  The conference had 1,329 student-athletes honored for their achievements in the classroom.

 

The SAC Commissioner’s Honor Roll recognizes those student-athletes who carry at least a 3.30 cumulative grade point average and have completed at least one season in the sports of football, women’s volleyball, men’s and women’s soccer, men’s and women’s cross country, men’s and women’s basketball, baseball, softball, men’s and women’s tennis, men’s and women’s golf, men’s and women’s lacrosse, and men’s and women’s outdoor track and field.

 

The 129 SAC Commissioner Honor Roll student-athletes are the most by Tusculum since joining the conference in 1999.  The College has finished in the top-half of the league in regards to honor roll selections every season in its 16-year association with the conference.

 

Tusculum’s 129 honorees are the fourth-most of the 12 league members.  Queens University of Charlotte led the way with 138 honorees, followed by Lenoir-Rhyne University (136), Carson-Newman University (136), Tusculum, Wingate University (123), Mars Hill University (118), Coker College (114), Catawba College (110), Anderson University (98), Lincoln Memorial University (95) and Brevard College (83).

 

The SAC Commissioner’s Honor Roll showcases the SAC member institutions’ commitment to achieving high levels of success both academically and athletically, as multiple sport-related award winners also garnered the distinction.

 

Tusculum honorees include Capital One Academic All-Americans® Lukas Winkelmann (men’s tennis), Jonas Winkelmann (men’s tennis), Calley Lawson (women’s golf) and David Cooper (men’s cross country).  Lukas Winkelmann and David Cooper were named their respective sport’s SAC Scholar Athlete of the Year, as were Nick Forsberg (men’s golf) and Kate Hutchinson (women’s tennis). Lukas Winkelmann also received the SAC President’s Award, the highest honor the conference bestows on a student-athlete.

 

2014-2015 South Atlantic Conference Commissioner’s Honor Roll Tusculum honorees

Student-Athlete               Sport(s)

Evan Altizer                        Football

Andrea Amettis                Volleyball

Ben Arnold                         Men’s Basketball

Nikki Arthur                       Women’s Soccer/Lacrosse (CoSIDA Academic All-District)

Juan Avendano                 Men’s Soccer

Kyle Bailey                          Football

Samuel Baker                     Men’s Soccer

Sarah Baker                        Women’s Tennis (CoSIDA Academic All-District)

Nicole Ball                           Softball

Miranda Beeler                 Softball

Alexis Berlin                       Women’s Cross Country

Hannah Berling                 Volleyball

Taylor Boone                     Volleyball

Sabrina Bradley                 Women’s Soccer

Spencer Brothers             Baseball

CJ Brown                             Baseball

Blakeley Burleson            Women’s Basketball

Lawson Burrow                 Men’s Cross Country

Lindsay Butler                    Women’s Golf

Alison Camp                       Women’s Soccer

Deryn Candelaria             Women’s Lacrosse

Hunter Cantrell                 Football

Erin Carmody                     Volleyball

Ethan Carpenter               Baseball

Cayla Cecil                           Softball

Katie Chadwick                 Women’s Soccer/Lacrosse

David Cooper                     Men’s Cross Country (CoSIDA Academic All-America®/SAC Scholar Athlete)

Christen Craig                    Women’s Lacrosse

Heather Crouch                Women’s Soccer

Kelsey Crow                       Women’s Lacrosse

Alec Cunningham             Women’s Golf

Caleb Cutshall                    Men’s Cross Country

Eliza Davis                            Softball

Samuel Davis                     Men’s Golf

Toby de Klerk                    Men’s Tennis

Payton DeHart                  Women’s Soccer

Rachel Del Duca                Women’s Lacrosse

Kyle Dickson                       Men’s Soccer

Kelly Donnelly                   Football

Tandon Dorn                      Baseball

Savannah Elliott                Women’s Lacrosse

Joe Elphingstone              Men’s Tennis

Hunter Foreman              Men’s Soccer

Nick Forsberg                    Men’s Golf (CoSIDA Academic All-District/SAC Scholar Athlete)

Franziska Funke                Women’s Tennis

Rachel Garnett                  Volleyball

Shelby Gray                        Women’s Lacrosse

Ashley Gregg                     Women’s Cross Country

Renato Grgic                      Men’s Soccer

Courtney Hackney           Women’s Soccer

Allison Hall                          Women’s Cross Country

Holly Hall                              Women’s Soccer

Sierra Hanson                    Women’s Cross Country

Marius Harsjoen               Men’s Soccer

Michala Hash                     Women’s Basketball

Megan Hasse                     Volleyball

Brad Hawkins                     Men’s Golf

Christopher Hill                 Football

Sayre Hopper                    Women’s Golf

Kate Hutchinson               Women’s Tennis (SAC Scholar Athlete)

Zack Jones                          Football

Tashique Kader                 Men’s Tennis

Adrienne Kaye                  Women’s Tennis

Jordan Keene                    Softball

Andrew Kransberger      Men’s Lacrosse

Adam Kulbat                      Men’s Soccer (CoSIDA Academic All-District)

Austin Kulp                         Men’s Soccer

Andreas Kvam                   Men’s Soccer

Pablo Laguna                     Men’s Soccer

Zack Lane                            Football

Calley Lawson                    Women’s Golf (CoSIDA Academic All-America®)

Guillermo Lazcano           Men’s Soccer

Lillian Lesniewski              Women’s Lacrosse

Mariah Lewis                     Volleyball

Madison Malone              Women’s Lacrosse

Miriah Martin                    Women’s Soccer

Erika Mayfield                   Women’s Soccer

Kelli McCalla                       Women’s Soccer/Lacrosse

Chad McClanahan            Football

Kristen McMillion             Women’s Basketball

Jake Mendenhall             Men’s Golf

Erin Mills                              Women’s Tennis

Brianna Mitchell               Women’s Basketball

Shannon Murphy             Volleyball

Paula Ortiz-Gomez          Women’s Lacrosse

Ross Parsons                      Men’s Lacrosse

Roberto Pimentel            Men’s Soccer

Alisha Pugh                         Women’s Soccer

Leif Ratliff                            Men’s Golf

Ciara Rattana                     Women’s Golf

Treslyn Reese                    Softball

Jenna Restivo                    Softball

Aly Rines                              Women’s Soccer

Rachel Roberts                  Women’s Soccer

Nick Rodriguez                  Baseball

Chris Ryan                           Men’s Lacrosse

Sabrina Schleuger            Volleyball

Drew Schreder                  Football

Michael Scott                     Baseball

Leon Seiz                             Men’s Tennis

David Siegle                        Men’s Tennis

Deion Sims                          Football

Erin Sims                              Women’s Lacrosse

Zach Slagle                          Baseball

Jonathan Spicher             Men’s Soccer

Danae Stauffer                 Volleyball

Robin Stoner                      Softball

Kaytlin Stroinski                Softball

Amanda Sumner              Women’s Tennis

Shannele Sunderland     Women’s Soccer

Benjamin Thompson      Men’s Lacrosse

Carlie Thornber                 Women’s Soccer

Preston Tucker                 Men’s Golf

Cheyenne Upton             Women’s Soccer

Beze Uzoma                       Football

Veronica Vineyard           Women’s Soccer

Samantha Vogt                 Women’s Cross Country

Nick Wasylyk                      Football

Emily Waters                      Women’s Tennis

Devan Watts                      Baseball

Kaily Weiss                          Volleyball

Shynese Whitener          Women’s Basketball

Marissa Williams               Women’s Soccer (CoSIDA Academic All-District)

Carolyn Williamson          Softball

Jonas Winkelmann          Men’s Tennis (CoSIDA Academic All-America®)

Lukas Winkelmann          Men’s Tennis (CoSIDA Academic All-America®/SAC Scholar Athlete/SAC Presidents Award)

LJ Young                               Football

 

Congressman Phil Roe visits Tusculum College to learn more about TRIO college preparation and success programs

Tusculum College welcomed Congressman Phil Roe to campus on Monday, July 6. Roe visited the campus to learn more about the college preparation programs offered by Tusculum College through the TRIO programs.

TRIO includes three federally funded programs, Talent Search, Upward Bound and Student Support Services. These programs serve regional students who are from low-income backgrounds and if they attend college, will be first-generation college students.

While on campus, Congressman Roe visited Talent Search students from across the region, encouraging them to stick with their education and continue on to higher education.

Roe represents Tennessee’s First District and currently serves on the federal Education and Labor Committee. He expressed a great deal of interest in programs that encourage young people to continue their education after high school. He shared his own educational experiences as well.

“Take advantage of this program and all that it has to offer,” he told the group of mostly high school juniors and seniors. “Going to college opens so many opportunities, almost unlimited.”

Of the three programs, Talent Search begins the earliest, with students entering the program in the sixth grade.

“We begin monitoring the courses that they take, work with students on attainable goal setting, and taking them on college visits,” said Jeanne Stokes, director of TRIO programs.

Upward Bound, which serves high school students and is currently in summer session on the Greeneville Tusculum College campus, brings the students to the college to learn and experience life on a college campus. Students take courses and live on campus. They learn to deal with roommates and experience eating in the cafeteria.

“Our programs are very much set up like a college program,” said Stokes. “We offer courses for them to choose from, including “Creative Writing,” “Forensic Science,” “Navigating Math” and “Photography.”

The third of the TRIO programs is Student Support Services and provides a wide array of academic support services to at-risk students once they are enrolled as a Tusculum College student. Services include tutoring and counseling, among other services.

 

Congressman Phil Roe visited students in the Talent Search program at Tusculum College learning more about the college preparation and success programs offered through Tusculum’s TRIO programs.

Tusculum College receives grant from Women’s Fund of East Tennessee

The Women’s Fund of East Tennessee has awarded a $10,000 grant to Tusculum College for a first generation college student mentoring program. Representatives of the Women’s Fund presented the funds to representatives of the college at a luncheon on the Greeneville campus in June.

The Women’s Fund of East Tennessee will provide funding for the proposed program’s guest speakers and honorariums, Tusculum College student participants, interview wardrobe, supplies, meals, cultural events and transportation expenses.

The grant will provide for 18 female high school students, who come from low income families and would be their family’s first generation to attend college, to participate in a five-day residential, mentored institute at Tusculum College. Students from Carter, Cocke, Greene and Unicoi counties will be eligible. The program is called the Women’s Search for Success and Self-Sufficiency.

Tusculum College is working with its Talent Search program to expand the Women’s Search for Success and Self-Sufficiency program. The Talent Search program seeks to empower underrepresented participants with the tools to achieve academic and personal success. The program accomplishes this goal through interventions to assist low-income and first-generation participants to finish high school, enter, and complete a program of post-secondary education.

The goal of the Women’s Search for Success and Self-Sufficiency program is to help girls in East Tennessee learn various life, education, and work-related skills. Various workshops are implemented to instruct participants in areas such as financial literacy, basic social skills, cognitive skills, job- and college-searching, basic employment skills and employment transitions.

Talent Search professional staff, Arts Outreach staff, Tusculum College’s Financial Aid and Career Services staff, Student Support Services, area financial advisors, etiquette coaches, hair and make-up specialists, health department officials and law enforcement officials will conduct the workshops training and activities.

“Tusculum College has a long history of serving first generation college students and that commitment is stronger than ever with the establishment of our summer institute,” said Dr. Nancy B. Moody, president of Tusculum College.

According to Dr. Moody, 75 percent of Tusculum College students call Appalachia home, 46 percent are the first in their family to attend college and 66 percent are Pell Grant eligible, the students with the greatest financial need.

“These students need the mentoring and support a small college like Tusculum can provide,” said Moody.

Jeanne Stokes, director of the TRIO programs who will coordinate the new program said, “This is a wonderful opportunity to introduce our students to different career options, teambuilding activities and cultural enrichment. We plan for the students to leave with a sense of self- sufficiency that will enable them to be successful as they complete high school and enter and complete college.”

Because of the partnership with the Talent Search program, participants in the Women’s Search for Success and Self-Sufficiency will continue to be mentored, monitored, and guided throughout high school and college by professional staff and identified mentors. Skill attainments will be measured utilizing pre- and post-tests. A pre-test will be administered at the beginning of the summer institute and a post-test and the end of the week-long institute. Items on the test will cover topics including personal appearance and hygiene, personal safety, leadership, communication, and critical thinking skills, and financial literacy.

The Women’s Fund provided grants to Haven House, New Opportunity School for Women, Red Legacy Recovery, Servolution, The Next Door and Tusculum College.

For more information or to donate to the Women’s Fund, visit www.womensfundetn.org or call 865-524-1223.

 

From left are Heather Patchett, vice president of institutional advancement for Tusculum College; Legacy Member Linda Spence, research and grants committee for the Women’s Fund; Women’s Fund Founder Nita Summers, research and grants committee for the Women’s Fund; Women's Fund Founder Judy Ingala; Women's Fund Founder Cynthia Burnley, chair of the research and grants committee; Dr. Nancy B. Moody, president of Tusculum College; Women’s Fund Founder Nikki Niswonger; Jeanne Stokes, director of TRIO program; Alisha Roberson of Hampton; Ali Giovannelli of Unicoi; Lindsey Hixson of Limestone, and Michelle Arbogast, associate director of foundation and donor relations at Tusculum College.

Tuition Freeze at Tusculum helps Tennessee private schools initiative

Students and parents of students at Tusculum College welcomed good news when it was announced in October that there will be no increase in tuition and room and board fees for Tusculum College students in the 2015-16 year.

Members of the Tusculum College Board of Trustees voted to freeze fees for the upcoming year at their fall meeting on the Greeneville campus.

“We are pleased that tuition, room and board at Tusculum College will remain at the same rate,” said President Nancy B. Moody. “It is our challenge and our duty to control costs for our students to the best of our ability.”

The tuition freeze will be applied to both the residential and the Graduate and Professional Studies programs. Students from both programs have responded positively.

Tusculum’s efforts support an initiative of the Tennessee Independent Colleges and Universities that show private, non-profit, four-year colleges and universities in Tennessee are committed to holding down student debt.

Students at these institutions across Tennessee will see a modest increase in tuition and fees next year, and they will continue to pay thousands of dollars less than students attending similar institutions in most other states.

Average undergraduate tuition and fees for 2015-16 at the member institutions of the Tennessee Independent Colleges and Universities Association will increase by 2.95 percent, the lowest such increase in more than a decade.

“TICUA institutions are steadfast in their commitment to educational opportunity and choice,” said Dr. Gary Weedman, Chair of TICUA Board of Directors and President of Johnson University. “Our institutions are affordable. In addition, we provide generous financial aid, making it possible for students to attend the college or university that best fits their individual needs.”

Through their commitment to provide affordable access to higher education, TICUA institutions serve many low-income students. Approximately 91 percent of first-time, full-time students attending private, non-profit colleges and universities in the State receive some form of financial support. The majority (75%) of this aid comes directly from the 34 college and university members of TICUA, of which Tusculum College is one.

The State of Tennessee provides another 13 percent and the federal government the remaining 12 percent of the aid.

More than 42 percent of Tennesseans attending TICUA institutions receive the federal Pell Grant, targeted to support students from low-income families.

The State’s need-based aid program, the Tennessee Student Assistance Award provided $21.1 million to more than 5,400 low-income students attending TICUA member institutions.

Thousands of TICUA member institution students also benefit from the State’s education lottery program. In the 2014-15 academic year, more than 12,000 students attending private colleges and universities participated in the Tennessee Education Lottery Scholarship award program, which provided more than $54.7 million in grant aid to students at private colleges and universities.

“It is important to recognize that almost every student attending a TICUA member campus receives some form of financial aid either from the state or federal government or, more typically, directly from the institution,” said Dr. Claude Pressnell, President of TICUA. “When you combine institutional, state, and federal aid, the actual price paid by students can be substantially lower than the published price.”

For academic year 2015-16, the average published tuition and fees, not including room and board, for undergraduate students attending a TICUA member private, non- profit, four-year institution in Tennessee will be $24,190 per year. This is expected to be considerably lower than the national average. Last year (academic year 2014-15), average tuition at Tennessee’s private, non-profit, four-year institutions was 25 percent less than the national average. After considering the contribution of financial aid, many students ultimately pay significantly less than the either the national or southern regional averages.

Watch the construction progress of the new science and math facility

There is quite a bit of excitement on campus as the construction of the Dr. Ronald H. and Verna June Meen Center for Science and Mathematics is well underway!

At this point most of the foundations are in place and work is underway preparing for site utilities. The sewer connection has been made to existing service. The most visible element at this point is the block construction of the first of two elevators. Additionally, the steel package has been ordered and is scheduled to arrive in July.

According to David Martin, director of facilities, the project is on schedule and going well so far. If you are interested in watching construction progress for the Meen Center for Science and Math, you may do so via web cam feed on the Tusculum website http://my.tusculum.edu/cam.

Work on the building began in early May. The projected date of completion is September 27, 2016.

Above is an artistic rendering of the new science and math facility.

Alumna named new leader of Claiborne Economic Partnership

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hall named CEO of Claiborne Economic Partnership

Jennifer Hall '06

Jennifer Hall ’06 has been chosen to lead her native county’s efforts for economic advancement.

Hall was recently named the chief executive officer of the newly-formed Claiborne Economic Partnership. The Partnership is a combination of the Claiborne County Chamber of Commerce and the Claiborne County Economic Development Board.

Hall has deep roots in Claiborne County. She attended Claiborne County High School, where she played basketball all four years. She attended Walters State Community College for two years before earning her Bachelor of Science degree in organizational management from Tusculum.

After finishing her studies, she took a sales position at Rotech Healthcare, experience success during her five-year tenure there. Her latest position was as an account manager at SunCrest HomeHealth and Hospice.

She and her husband of 12 years, John, have two daughters, Jaycee and Julianna. They reside on a 20-acre farm in New Tazewell and are active in their church, where John serves as pastor.

 

Four Tusculum alumnae nominated for ATHENA Awards

Four Tusculum alumnae in the Greeneville, TN, area were nominated for the ATHENA Leadership Award. Nominated were Vicki Culbertson ’87 ’93, Paige Mengel ’88, Debbie Oldenberg ’99 and Dr. Linda Stroud ’89.  The award, backed by ATHENA International, recognizes the accomplishments of women leaders.

Vicki Culbertson worked for Doehler-Jarvis, ARC of Washington County, Elite Elevator/AmeriLift of Johnson City, Ameristar Manufacturing in Greeneville and Ecoquest International in Greeneville before accepting her current position as executive director of Greene County Habitat for Humanity in 2009. She and her husband, Tyre, were married for 21 years prior to his death in 2010.

Paige Mengel is a certified public accountant, certified global management accountant, certified power executive and certified utility accountant. She worked at Rodefer Moss & Co., CPAs, and the Greeneville Water Commission before accepting her current position as controller of the Greeneville Light & Power System. She is also the business coordinator for the newly-formed Greeneville Theatre Guild, and is active with Theatre-at-Tusculum and theatre groups in surrounding areas. She has been an active member of the Exchange Club. Her husband, Frank, is the technical director for Arts Outreach and a theater instruction at Tusculum.

Debbie Oldenberg attended Draughon’s Business College in Knoxville before earning her degree from Tusculum College. After a move to Wisconsin, she returned to Tennessee and joined Landair/Forward Air in 1998. She became executive assistant to Scott Niswonger in late 1989, and continues in that role with The Niswonger Group. She has held numerous leadership roles with the Greeneville Woman’s Club, including president, and is a member of the Holston United Methodist Home for Children Board of Trustees. She and her husband, Ken, have been married for 37 years and their son, Chris ’06 is a Tusculum alumnus.

Dr. Linda Stroud began her career with Greeneville City Schools as a speech and language pathologist in 1982. She also served as a social counselor for the Tennessee Department of Human Services, director and teacher of an Alternative Learning Program, director of the Family Resource Center, assistant principal of Greeneville Middle School, educational consultant for the Niswonger Foundation, and adjunct professor of educational leadership and policy analysis at ETSU. She became principal of Greeneville Middle School in 1999, Greeneville City Schools assistant director of schools for administration in 2007, principal of Greeneville High School in 2008 and director of schools for the Greeneville system in 2012. She retired in May. She is an active member of Tusculum Baptist Church.

’70s

Dr. John Roberts ’71 has joined the national executive search firm, Isaacson Miller as vice president. Dr. Roberts has been serving as the dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences at the University of Houston. In his new position, Dr. Roberts will be based in firm’s Washington D.C. office. Prior to his tenure at the University of Houston, he served as dean of Arts and Humanities, as well as chair of the Department of African and African-American Studies at the Ohio State University. He was a professor in the Department of Folklore and Folklife and served as director of the Afro-American Studies Program at the University of Pennsylvania. In 2000, Dr. Roberts was appointed deputy chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities by the Clinton White House and served in the position until 2002. He is also past president of the American Folklore Society and the Association of African and African-American Folklorists. He has served on the Advisory Board of the Folklife Center at the Smithsonian Institution and the Advisory Board of the Center for American Folklife at the Library of Congress.

 

’80s

Connie Lamb ’82 of Afton, TN, retired from service in the Federal Court Clerk’s Office in Greeneville, TN, at the end of April. Lamb began working in the Clerk’s Office in 1984 until a year and a half ago when she became the judicial assistant for U.S. Magistrate Judge Dennis Inman. Lamb had worked at two factories before pursuing her dream of a college education at Tusculum at the age of 28.

 

Tusculum alumnae Lee Anne Guinn Hall ’88 published in Silver Birch Press. The title of her work is “Meadow of Grace.” She is currently living in Knoxville.

 

’90s

Todd Brooks ’90 has been named athletic director at Berry College in Rome, GA. Brooks is returning to the position in which he served from 2002 to 2013. He has been serving as athletic director at Christopher Newport University for the past two years. During his previous tenure at Berry, Brooks oversaw the college’s transition from NAIA membership to NCAA Division III status. The college also doubled its varsity athletics from 10 to 21 sports during his tenure.

 

Randy Richards ’92 ’98 of Afton, TN, has been named the new principal at Baileyton Elementary School. Richards, who has been an educator for 20 years, has spent the last 18 years at Greeneville High School as a science teacher, coach, athletic director and most recently, assistant principal.

 

Jason Liggett ’96 of Los Angeles, CA, returned to his native Bristol, TN, for the inaugural Push! Film Festival. Liggett’s short film, “The 7th Man” was one of the featured projects for the new festival. “The 7th Man,” written and directed by Liggett, focuses on what happened just before the U.S. flag was raised during the Battle of Iwo Jima during World War II through the eyes of famed Associated Press photographer Joe Rosenthal, whose photo of the flag raising is one of the iconic images from the war. Liggett has two projects in the works, one of which was filmed in the region. Liggett’s film is available on his production company’s website, hickoryhollowentertainment.com.

 

Alan Cobble ’98 ’05 of Greeneville, TN, has been named principal at West Pines Elementary School in the Greene County School System. He had been serving as assistant principal at Mosheim Elementary School. He started his professional career as the director off the 21st Century Community Learning Center at McDonald Elementary School. He has taught at Doak Elementary School and Chuckey-Doak Middle School and has coached football and baseball.

 

’00s

John House ’00 of Limestone, TN, as been named the new girls’ basketball coach at West Greene High School. A Greene County native, he played basketball at Chuckey-Doak High School and later played baseball at Tusculum. He has served as an assistant coach at Chuckey-Doak. This will be his first head coaching position.

Bill Dunham ’01 of Church Hill, TN, has been named principal of Colonial Heights Middle School in the Sullivan County School System. Dunham has served as band director at Ketron and Lynn View middle schools as well as at Holston Middle School and at Ketron Intermediate School. He has worked as assistant principal at Colonial Heights Middle since 2008.

Tammy Swinney ’02 has been named assistant principal at Chuckey-Doak Middle School. She began her teaching career at Doak Elementary School and has taught math at both Doak and Chuckey-Doak Middle.

Jonathan Sitzlar ’03 of Maryville has been named director of the Facilities, Information, and Reservation Management Division, or FIRMD, in the Office of Assistant Manager for Administration in the U.S Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge Office. In his new position, Sitzlar directs a staff of 24 federal employees with responsibility for the development and execution of a variety of programs including reservation management and infrastructure and facility management on the DOE Oak Ridge Reservation. Since 2009, Sitzlar has served as the supervisory property manager and contracting officer for the U.S. General Services Administration in Knoxville. He has also held positions with the Knoxville Office of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Tennessee. Sitzler is active in several community organizations including Helen Ross-McNabb Center, Combined Federal Campaign, East Tennessee Children’s Hospital, Blount County Historical Trust, Second Harvest Food Bank and Coats for the Cold Angel Tree.

Sarah Gray ’05 has been named assistant principal Mosheim Elementary School. She has taught at the school for 10 years as an instructor in the third and seventh grades. She has served as a district learning leader for the past three years.

Nick Darnell ’06 of Morristown, TN, has been selected as one of 18 teachers across the State of Tennessee  to serve on the first Governor’s Teacher Cabinet.  The cabinet will meet quarterly with Governor Bill Haslam and Education Commissioner Candice McQueen to share real-time information from the classroom, advise on policy considerations and provide a direct line of communication to schools and communities. Directors of schools were asked to nominate one teacher from each of their districts, and 18 classroom teachers were selected from across the state based on the following criteria: focus on student achievement, encouragement of collaboration among colleagues, demonstration of leadership, a solutions-orientation and a relentless pursuit of excellence. The teacher cabinet includes a diverse mix of backgrounds and experience. Members represent each of the state’s three grand divisions as well as cities, suburbs and rural areas and have varying years of experience teaching first through 12th grades. Teachers will serve two-year terms on the cabinet. The first meeting is planned for July.

Cody Baugh ’07 of Greeneville, TN, has been named the head baseball coach at Greeneville High School. Baugh has been an assistant football coach at the high school and has been the head baseball coach at Greeneville Middle School since 2009.

Noelle Smith ’08 of Greeneville, TN, has been named assistant principal of Greeneville High School and will begin her duties in July. She taught social studies at South Greene High School for 12 and served as the high school instructional coach for the Greene County School System last year.  She has also served in many capacities with the Tennessee Department of Education to increase professional development opportunities for teachers across the state during the transition to the new Tennessee State Standards. As a classroom teacher, she earned two Teacher of the Year recognitions from two separate organizations in 2013: the Tennessee National History Day Teacher of the Year and Belz-Lipman Holocaust Educator of the Year. She has also coached cross country and sponsored a student government association. Smith is married to Dr. David Smith, director of student support services at Tusculum College. They have two children, Reagan and Emma Claire.

Robbie Mitchell ’09 started in a new job this month as executive director of academic strategies and operations for the Tennessee Department of Education after serving the Greeneville School System for 15 years.

’10s

Danielle Armstrong ’12, a Tennessee native, completed an Master of Fine Arts degree in Fiction at the University of Central Florida in May 2015. She has Bachelor of Arts degrees in English and Studio Art from Tusculum. At UCF, she worked as an English Department graduate teaching assistant with the Literary Arts Partnership to provide creative writing classes to Orlando area youth and adults affected by mental illness. During the final year of her master’s program, she also helped to create and maintain a blog. Her fiction and nonfiction has appeared (or is forthcoming) online and in print at bordercrossing, riverSedge, Scissors & Spackle, Paragraph Line, and Connotation Press: An Online Artifact. She works in Orlando as a technical writer.

Rashaad Carter ’12 has returned to the active roster for the Spokane Shock, an Arena Football League team. He had been sidelined for nearly two months after having surgery to repair a torn ligament in his thumb. Prior to his injury, he had 51 receptions for 648 years and 11 touchdowns through the Shock’s first eight games.

Drew Baker ’13 is now working at Amazon in Chattanooga.  He was previously teaching English as a second language in China.  He began work at Amazon in October of last year.

Josh Davis ’13 of Morristown, TN, has completed his Masters in Business Entertainment at Full Sail University.

Matthew Moyer ’15 of Gray, TN, has accepted an interpretation job at the Titanic Museum in Pigeon Forge, TN.

David Nunez ’15 has been hired as the new Spanish teacher at West Greene High School in Greene County.

Mark Patterson ’15 has been named head of soccer program for Hardin Valley Academy in Knoxville.

 

 

 

 

John Cage ’08 and Meghann Burton ’09 were married at Tusculum College on May 23, 2015. The couple are living in Englewood, TN.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

’50s

Ralph E. Maines ’51 of Santa Clara, CA, passed away on June 12, 2015. Mr Maines had served as a special agent for the FBI and finished his career as director of security at NASA Ames. He was a veteran, having joined the U.S. Navy at 17 and was part of the invasion of Okinawa during World War II. Mr. Maines was a 356 Porsche enthusiast, volunteering at hundreds of Porsche club events and was always ready with tools-in-hand to help repair anyone’s356.  He was a faithful travel companion who loved the camaraderie of the Porsche clubs.

 

’60s

Dorothy “Dottie” Blair ’62 of Rock Hill, SC, formerly of Greeneville, TN, passed away May 22, 2015. She and husband, Marcus, served as missionaries in Haiti in the 1940s before settling in Tennessee, where Mr. Blair was involved with the Children’s Bible Mission and was known as “The Bible Story Man” in Greene County Schools in the 1950s and early 1960s. Meanwhile, Mrs. Blair returned to college and graduated from Tusculum with a degree in education. She began her career as a teacher at Mosheim High School and then began an 18-year career at Highland Elementary School in Greeneville, teaching third grade. After retirement, the Blairs moved to Waxhaw, NC, where they were very active with JAARS, an affiliate of Wycliffe Bible Translators. Mrs. Blair was involved in the creation and design of many of the exhibits at the Alphabet Museum at JAARS, where she gave tours when the museum opened. Mrs. Blair was a resident at Park Pointe Village in Rock Hill since 2001. She teaching, traveling and flowers. She had an avid interest in the wild flowers of East Tennessee and gave lectures about them. Mrs. Blair was a member of Westminister Presbyterian Church in Rock Hill and previously of First Baptist Church of Greeneville, where she taught Sunday school and sang in the choir.

Charles S. Brooks ’63 of Greeneville,TN, passed away on July 11, 2015. Mr. Brooks was chairman of the board of McInturff, Milligan and Brooks, Inc. of Greeneville, and Bennett & Edwards in Kingsport, until his retirement in 2013. He had also served as president of the Reed Insurance Agency in Greeneville and as CEO of Corroon & Black of Greeneville, Kingsport and Knoxville. Prior to joining the Reed Agency, he had held positions with the Magnavox Company and the Equitable Life Insurance Company. A veteran, Mr. Brooks served in the U.S. Navy from 1956-58, which most of his active duty time spent on an aircraft carrier in the Far East.  He was a former member of the Board of Directors of the Greene County Partnership, and served on the Agents Advisory Counsel of USF&G Insurance Company, the Insurance Company of North America, The Royal Insurance Company and The Continental Insurance Company. Mr. Brooks was also a former member of the Advisory Panel for the Tennessee Public Service Commission. He was a former president of the Greeneville Jaycees, a director of the Exchange Club, president of Link Hills Country Club, a member of the East Tennessee State University Foundation board of directors, a member of the Greene County Bank board of directors, and a United Way volunteer. Mr. Brooks worked on various fundraising campaigns throughout the years for the Tusculum College Fund. He was a member of Asbury United Methodist Church, where he served on the administrative board, the Pastor-Parish Relations Committee and the Budget and Finance Committee. His Sunday School class, D.&H. Brown, was always close to his heart. He was an avid golf and tennis player and a loyal fan of University of Tennessee football and NASCAR. Since his first strokes four years ago, he had participated daily in exercise classes at Silver Sneakers, where he enjoyed the friendships of many. His survivors include sisters and Tusculum alumnae Sara Brooks Cullison ’53 and Phyllis Brooks Stansfield ’62.

 

’70s

Mr. Ronald C. DiPietro ’71 of North East, MD, passed away December 28, 2014. Mr. DiPietro was a teacher for 31 years with the Cecil County Board of Education. He was a veteran, having served in the U.S. Air Force from 1963-66. Mr. DiPietro was a longtime member of the North East Lions Club, North East VFW Post 6027 and the Elkton American Legion. He also enjoyed all sports, especially golf, football, ice hockey, baseball, basketball and boating.  Mr. Dipietro was an avid reader.

Barry Auerbacher ’75 of Neptune Township and Manchester, NJ, passed away on Thursday, July 2, 2015. A man of deep and abiding faith, Mr. Auerbacher was an avid organic gardener, a staunch Libertarian, a devoted husband and a dedicated, gentle, and loving father to his three children. He was also a fan of rock and roll and the New York Mets. He was always ready to help those needing a hand.

 

’80s

Tim McCoy ’80 of Blountville, TN, passed away on June 28, 2015, after fighting a valiant battle against cancer.  Mr. McCoy was serving as a member of the Tusculum College Alumni Executive Board at the time of his passing. He was a member of St. Dominic Catholic Church in Kingsport. Mr. McCoy was active throughout his life coaching youth sports and was passionate about improving the safety of the Indian Springs community. He recently began training and showing his Chesapeake Bay Retriever.

Linda J. Babb ’88 of Johnson City, TN, passed away July 16, 2015. Mrs. Babb was a career educator, teaching students from pre-kindergarten through master’s degree post-graduate special education for more than 40 years. She taught in Sevier, Greene and Washington counties as well as in the Greeneville School System and at East Tennessee State University. She and her husband, Phil, also co-owned and operated Johnson Hardware in Chuckey, TN, for several years. Cooking for, and visiting with family, as well as chairing the initiative to preserve the Chuckey train depot became her focus during retirement. Due in large part to her efforts, the train depot is in its initial restoration phase and was relocated to historic Jonesborough as a museum to be dedicated later this year.

’00s

Joshua Mabe ’04 of Sneedville, TN, passed away June 6, 2015, in an accident on his family farm. Mr. Mabe was a sergeant in the Tennessee Highway Patrol. He had served as a patrolman for 10 years and had been named Trooper of the Year in 2008 in the Fall Branch district. In 2005 he had been selected to the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security Training Center as a state trooper cadet . He had also served as a deputy in the Hancock County Sheriff’s Department. His survivors include his wife and Tusculum alumna Victoria ’06.

Faculty

Leonard Bradley of Nasvhille, TN, passed away on June 22, 2015.  Mr. Bradley worked for 28 years in state government career as a senior policy assistant to three Tennessee governors, served as deputy commissioner of human services and vice chancellor of the State University and Community College System of Tennessee. After retiring from state service in the mid-1990s, Bradley taught public policy and government for five years at Tusculum, where he also served as director of the Institute for Public Leadership and Policy. He later taught at Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College and retired from teaching in 2010.

Tusculum College receives grant from the Tennessee Historical Records Advisory Board

The President Andrew Johnson Museum and Library at Tusculum College has received an $800 grant from the Tennessee Historical Records Advisory Board to purchase shelving to improve the storage for its historic collections.

The Tennessee Historical Records Advisory Board received $27,500 from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission to assist Tennessee’s historic record centers through a grant program called State and National Archival Partnership. SNAP Grants are available up to $2,500.

The SNAP grants are open to any Tennessee organization with historical records that are available to the public. The SNAP grants provide training and supplies for the preservation, improving access and enhancing historic record programs.

Through this grant, the museum will be purchasing new shelves for its archival collections. According to Kathy Cuff, archivist at the President Andrew Johnson Museum and Library, the new shelves will provide proper storage for the Rare Books Collection and the backlog of other collections.

“This will relieve the crowding seen in the Rare Books Collection, which contains one of the most complete libraries from a post-Revolutionary frontier college,” she said.

Cuff added that the shelving will also be used to improve access to backlogged collections. The backlog shelving will remove the possibility of crushing collections through stacking boxes on top of each other.

“Tusculum College looks forward to installing the shelves soon and redressing these issues.”

The President Andrew Johnson Museum and Library collects, preserves and makes available the records of Tennessee’s first college. The museum is open to the public Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. For information about Tusculum College’s historic collections, contact Cuff at kcuff@tusculum.edu or at 423-636-7348.

The President Andrew Johnson Museum and Library and the Doak House Museum are operated by the Department of Museum Program and Studies of Tusculum College. In addition to the museums, the department is responsible for the College Archives and offers one of the few undergraduate Museum Studies degree programs in the country. The two museums are also part of the National Historic District on the Tusculum College campus. Follow the museums on Facebook and Twitter to learn the latest news and upcoming events or visit www.tusculum.edu/museums to learn more about the variety of programs offered at the museums.

Greeneville native, Tusculum alumnus Nick Darnell named to Governor’s Teacher Cabinet

Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam announced Wednesday 18 Tennessee teachers selected to serve on the first Governor’s Teacher Cabinet.

Among those named was Nick Darnell, a native of Greeneville who graduated from Tusculum with his bachelor’s degree in elementary education in 2006. Darnell is a Niswonger Scholar and while at Tusculum was inducted into the Alpha Chi National Honor Society and helped found the college’s chapter of College Republicans.

Now serving his ninth year as an educator, Darnell teaches eighth grade American history at East Ridge Middle School in Hamblen County. He is the head sponsor of the school’s Junior Beta Club, chairman of the school improvement committee, a member of the data team and a lead mentor. He earned his master’s degree in educational leadership and his specialist degree in school system leadership, as well as an administrative endorsement, from East Tennessee State University.

Darnell and his wife Emily reside in Morristown.

The cabinet will meet quarterly with Haslam and Education Commissioner Candice McQueen to share real-time information from the classroom, advise on policy considerations and provide a direct line of communication to schools and communities.

Nick Darnell

A year ago the governor traveled the state to hear from groups of teachers, and in December, he announced plans to create the cabinet in an effort to improve teacher communication and collaboration.

“We’ve had a number of conversations with teachers in a variety of settings, and this is another way to receive direct feedback from teachers who are in front of a class every day,” Haslam said. “As Tennessee continues to build on the success we’ve seen in our schools over the past four years, we want to hear from teachers about what is working and what needs improvement. These teachers have a lot on their plates, so I really appreciate their willingness to serve the state in this way.”

Directors of schools were asked to nominate one teacher from each of their districts, and 18 classroom teachers were selected from across the state based on the following criteria: focuses on student achievement, encourages collaboration among colleagues, demonstrates leadership, solutions-oriented and relentlessly pursues excellence.

The teacher cabinet includes a diverse mix of backgrounds and experience. Members represent each of the state’s three grand divisions as well as cities, suburbs and rural areas and have varying years of experience teaching first through twelfth grades.

Members of the first Governor’s Teacher Cabinet are: Elisabeth McArthur Bellah, Maryville City Schools; Melissa Bennett, Blount County Schools; Marsha Buck, Kingsport City Schools; Nick Darnell, Hamblen County Schools; Rebecca Few, Murfreesboro City Schools; Cathy Ginel, Oak Ridge City Schools; Anita Underwood Gray, Lebanon Special School District; Annette C. Johnson, Franklin County Schools; Abbey Kidwell, Clinton City School District; Wanda N. Lacy, Knox County Schools; Jessica Lindsay, Achievement School District; Schwann Logan, Bartlett Municipal School District; Lance Morgan, Union City Schools; Jessica Murray, Dyer County Schools; Kyle Prince, Rutherford County Schools; Angie Tisdale, Franklin Special School District; Karen Vogelsang, Shelby County Schools, and Catherine Whitehead, Chester County School System.

Teachers will serve two-year terms on the cabinet. The first meeting is planned for July.

Tusculum College Upward Bound celebrates local student graduates

Celebrating the successful completion of their high school careers, 40 Tusculum College Upward Bound seniors and their families attended a banquet and discussed paths to success at their respective colleges in conjunction with College Signing Day. Dr. Nancy B. Moody, president of Tusculum College, was the featured speaker.

Funded by the U.S. Department of Education, Upward Bound is a program designed to help students excel in high school while providing them with preparation for college success. Students selected for Upward Bound meet with a counselor at their respective school on a regular basis.

The banquet, held on May 1, was aligned with “Reach Higher,” an initiative of First Lady Michelle Obama. The highlights of the evening were the presenting of chords of achievement that the students would don at their graduations, as well as Dr. Moody’s speech about her own struggles as a first-generation college student and her subsequent success as a nurse, nursing professor and ultimately president of Tusculum College.

“Upward Bound was proud to share in First Lady Obama’s celebration, as it aligns perfectly with many of the goals which Upward Bound was founded upon in 1965 as part of The Higher Education Act,” said Jeanne Stokes, director of the TRIO program, which includes Upward Bound, Talent Search and Student Support Services. First Lady Obama created the “Reach Higher” initiative in hopes to inspire young people to “take charge of their future by pursuing education beyond high school.”

Stokes added, “This hope is at the very heart of Upward Bound.” Both First Lady Obama’s plan and Upward Bound incorporate summer programs meant to expand and broaden students’ horizons, support academic planning and promote a better understanding of the financial aid process. Since none of these admirable concepts are new to Tusculum College’s Upward Bound, which has been promoting student achievement for more than forty years, it was a natural progression to make College Signing Day a new tradition, she added.

 

Tusculum College President Dr. Nancy B. Moody places an Upward Bound graduation cord on Cocke County High School senior and future Tusculum College student Delessa Stewart during the Upward Bound Senior Banquet.

 

By Chloe Creel

Upward Bound Intern

Student-athletes named to Spring 2015 academic honor roll

Two-hundred and twenty student-athletes have been named to the 2015 Tusculum College Athletic Director’s Spring Honor Roll.

 

To be selected to the Athletic Director’s Honor Roll, a student-athlete must accumulate either a semester or cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or better on a 4.0 scale.

 

The Tusculum football team boasted the most student-athletes on the honor roll with 41 honorees.  The Pioneer baseball team was second with 29 selections.  The Tusculum women’s soccer team was third on the list with 24 honorees, while the Pioneer men’s soccer team was fourth with 20.  The women’s lacrosse team is fifth with 18 honorees, followed by softball (15), men’s lacrosse (14), volleyball (12), men’s golf (10), women’s basketball (9), men’s tennis (8), women’s tennis (7), women’s cross country (7), women’s golf (5), men’s basketball (5) and men’s cross country (4). The Tusculum cheerleading squad also had seven (7) members recognized on this semester’s honor roll.

 

The Tusculum men’s tennis team had the highest cumulative grade point average of the 16 sports sponsored by the College with a 3.662 team GPA.  Of Tusculum’s 16 athletic programs, 13 boasted team GPAs of 3.00 or better.  The women’s cross country team was second with a 3.580 GPA, followed by women’s tennis (3.565), men’s golf (3.488), volleyball (3.454), women’s golf (3.451), softball (3.423), men’s cross country (3.273), women’s basketball (3.214), men’s soccer (3.189), women’s lacrosse (3.176), women’s soccer (3.150) and baseball (3.037).

 

 

2015 Tusculum College Athletic Director’s Spring Honor Roll

Student-Athlete               Sport(s)

Antoinette Allen              Women’s Soccer

Evan Altizer                        Football

Jorge Alvarez                     Men’s Soccer

Andrea Amettis                Volleyball

Cody Andreychuk            Baseball

LiRonta Archie                   Football

Cody Armstrong               Football

Ben Arnold                         Men’s Basketball

William Arrington             Football

Nikki Arthur                        Women’s Soccer/Lacrosse

Kellen Asmundson          Men’s Lacrosse

Kristen Atwell                    Women’s Basketball

Juan Avendano                 Men’s Soccer

Kyle Bailey                          Football

Tyler Bailey                         Baseball

Samuel Baker                    Men’s Soccer

Sarah Baker                        Women’s Tennis

Nicole Ball                           Softball

Dalton Barrier                    Football

Brandyn Bartlett               Football

Miranda Beeler                 Softball

Deres Benn                        Football

Alexis Berlin                       Women’s Cross Country

Hannah Berling                 Volleyball

Paige Bible                          Women’s Cross Country

Brandon Black                   Baseball

Taylor Boone                     Volleyball

Dalton Boslooper             Baseball

Sarah Bouley                      Volleyball

Ben Boyd                             Men’s Lacrosse

Sabrina Bradley                 Women’s Soccer

Cheyenne Bray                 Women’s Lacrosse

Spencer Brothers             Baseball

CJ Brown                             Baseball

Blakeley Burleson            Women’s Basketball

Lawson Burrow                 Men’s Cross Country

Lindsay Butler                    Women’s Golf

Alison Camp                       Women’s Soccer

Deryn Candelaria             Women’s Lacrosse

Corey Cantrell                   Football

Hunter Cantrell                 Football

Erin Carmody                     Volleyball

Ethan Carpenter               Baseball

Darius Carter                      Men’s Basketball

Ben Cash                             Baseball

Cayla Cecil                           Softball

Katie Chadwick                 Women’s Soccer/Lacrosse

Mitch Chapman                Men’s Lacrosse

Warren Cheney                Men’s Golf

David Cooper                     Men’s Cross Country

Logan Cornelius                Football

Christen Craig                    Women’s Lacrosse

Heather Crouch                Women’s Soccer

Kelsey Crow                       Women’s Lacrosse

Bailey Culler                       Softball

Alec Cunningham             Women’s Golf

Caleb Cutshall                    Men’s Cross Country

Maelyn Cutshaw              Women’s Basketball

Ricardo Da Silva                 Men’s Soccer

Eliza Davis                            Softball

Samuel Davis                     Men’s Golf

Zach Davis                           Men’s Basketball

Evan Dansby                      Football

Drew Davidson                 Football

CJ Dawson                          Football

Toby de Klerk                    Men’s Tennis

Payton DeHart                  Women’s Soccer

Seth DeHaven                   Baseball

Rachel Del Duca                Women’s Lacrosse

Kyle Dickson                       Men’s Soccer

Kelly Donnelly                   Football

Tandon Dorn                      Baseball

Savannah Elliott                Women’s Lacrosse

Joe Elphingstone              Men’s Tennis

Cory Fagan                          Men’s Basketball

David Fernandes              Men’s Lacrosse

Vinny Ferrara                     Baseball

Zach Finchum                    Baseball

Hunter Foreman              Men’s Soccer

Nick Forsberg                    Men’s Golf

Jordan Fuller                      Men’s Lacrosse

Franziska Funke                Women’s Tennis

Rachel Garnett                  Volleyball

Max Gaubert                     Football

Emmanuel Gbunblee     Football

Sean Gilbane                     Men’s Lacrosse

Guillem Giro                       Men’s Soccer/Cheerleading

Coleman Glick                   Men’s Golf

Shelby Gray                        Women’s Lacrosse

Ashley Gregg                     Women’s Cross Country

Renato Grgic                      Men’s Soccer

Courtney Hackney           Women’s Soccer

Kevin Haggerty                 Men’s Lacrosse

Jessica Hairston                Women’s Basketball

Brock Hakalmazian          Baseball

Allison Hall                          Women’s Cross Country

Holly Hall                              Women’s Soccer

Tyler Hall                              Baseball

Sierra Hanson                    Women’s Cross Country

Jesse Harrell                       Men’s Cross Country

Marius Harsjoen               Men’s Soccer

Harrison Harvey                Men’s Soccer

Michala Hash                     Women’s Basketball

Megan Hasse                     Volleyball

Brad Hawkins                     Men’s Golf

Cameron High                   Baseball

Christopher Hill                 Football

Sayre Hopper                    Women’s Golf

Justin Houston                  Football

Kate Hutchinson               Women’s Tennis

Chris Hutson                      Men’s Golf

Dominic James                  Football

Zack Jones                          Football

Tashique Kader                 Men’s Tennis

Cody Kammerzell             Men’s Soccer

Adrienne Kaye                  Women’s Tennis

Jordan Keene                    Softball

Calyn Kelly                          Women’s Lacrosse

Jaylynn Kesterson           Football

Michael Khoury                Football

Alexander Kleinberg       Men’s Lacrosse

Andrew Kransberger      Men’s Lacrosse

Alix Kruel                             Softball

Adam Kulbat                      Men’s Soccer

Austin Kulp                         Men’s Soccer

Andreas Kvam                   Men’s Soccer

Pablo Laguna                     Men’s Soccer

Zack Lane                            Football

Calley Lawson                    Women’s Golf

Guillermo Lazcano           Men’s Soccer/Cheerleading

Neil Lee                                Football

Lillian Lesniewski              Women’s Lacrosse

Matt Levine                        Football

Mariah Lewis                     Volleyball

Taylor Lewis                       Women’s Soccer/Softball

Ryan Logan                         Baseball

Madison Malone              Women’s Lacrosse

Luke Manning                   Football

Miriah Martin                    Women’s Soccer

Erika Mayfield                   Women’s Soccer

Kelli McCalla                       Women’s Soccer/Lacrosse

Chad McClanahan            Football

Rory McClure                     Men’s Basketball

Caleb McCormick             Football

Chandler McGlohon       Cheerleading

Kristen McMillion             Women’s Basketball

Rachel Medley                  Softball

Jake Mendenhall             Men’s Golf

Erin Mills                              Women’s Tennis

Brianna Mitchell               Women’s Basketball

Shelby Moon                     Women’s Lacrosse

Brandon Mosley               Cheerleading

Pauline Muiruri                 Women’s Cross Country

Hunter Mullican                Football

Billy Munker                       Football

Shannon Murphy             Volleyball

Kora Neyland                     Women’s Soccer

Paula Ortiz-Gomez          Women’s Lacrosse

Ross Parsons                      Men’s Lacrosse

Anthony Patrick                Football

Mark Patterson                Men’s Soccer

Roberto Pimentel            Men’s Soccer

Nic Planchard                     Men’s Tennis

Alisha Pugh                         Women’s Soccer

Matt Ramsay                     Baseball

Leif Ratliff                            Men’s Golf

Austin Raynor                    Football

Treslyn Reese                    Softball

Jenna Restivo                    Softball

Brooke Rhodes                 Softball

Aly Rines                              Women’s Soccer

Rachel Roberts                  Women’s Soccer

Cody Poarch                       Baseball

Ciara Rattana                     Women’s Golf

Jay Roberts                         Football

Nick Rodriguez                  Baseball

Christopher Ryan             Men’s Lacrosse

Tyler Schafer                      Men’s Lacrosse

Nathaniel Scere                Men’s Soccer

Sabrina Schleuger            Volleyball

Drew Schreder                  Football

Michael Scott                     Basebal

Leon Seiz                             Men’s Tennis

David Siegle                        Men’s Tennis

Jaelyn Shoemaker           Cheerleading

Jalen Shuffler                    Baseball

Deion Sims                          Football

Erin Sims                              Women’s Lacrosse

Zach Slagle                          Baseball

Taylor Smith                       Men’s Golf

Jonathan Spicher             Men’s Soccer

Danae Stauffer                 Volleyball

Robin Stoner                      Softball

Chaz Story                           Football

Rainey Story                       Women’s Basketball

Kaytlin Stroinski                Softball

Amanda Sumner              Women’s Tennis

Shannele Sunderland     Women’s Soccer

Lizzie Talley                         Cheerleading

Jenique Thombs               Women’s Soccer/Lacrosse

Benjamin Thompson      Men’s Lacrosse

Carlie Thornber                 Women’s Soccer

Preston Tucker                 Men’s Golf

Danny Tufariello               Baseball

Jim Tolle                               Baseball

John Topoleski                  Baseball

Chaneyra Tucker              Cheerleading

Cheyenne Upton             Women’s Soccer

Beze Uzoma                       Football

Eric Varlas                            Men’s Lacrosse

Veronica Vineyard           Women’s Soccer

Samantha Vogt                 Women’s Cross Country

Brooke Wagner                Women’s Lacrosse

Justin Ware                        Football

Nick Wasylyk                      Football

Emily Waters                      Women’s Tennis

Devan Watts                      Baseball

Kaily Weiss                          Volleyball

J.J. Wesley                          Baseball

Shynese Whitener          Women’s Basketball

Creighton Wilke                Baseball

Marissa Williams               Women’s Soccer

Carolyn Williamson          Softball

Jonas Winkelmann          Men’s Tennis

Lukas Winkelmann          Men’s Tennis

Travis Winnon                   Baseball

LJ Young                               Football