KNOXVILLE – When Josh Johnson was a student at Tusculum University in the late 1990s and early 2000s, he learned valuable lessons about helping others through initiatives such as Nettie Fowler McCormick Service Day.
Joshua Johnson, left, and Adam Jackson, head coach of Tusculum University’s men’s and women’s teams, stand on the institution’s tennis courts.
These days, Johnson is a real estate agent, and he has developed a new program that will enable him to give back to his alma mater and those with a connection to Tusculum. He is providing a discount on his commission to Tusculum alumni, faculty and staff members and students who are selling their residences and use him as their agent.
In addition, this 2002 graduate with a bachelor’s degree in math is coupling that discount with a donation to Tusculum on the seller’s behalf. The first contribution – $250 – will go the Tusculum tennis program, for which he played when he was a student.
Johnson said he will give his clients the choice of what element of Tusculum they want to support in his future donations. If the seller does not specify a preference, his donation will go to the Tusculum Fund and he will let the university decide the best way to spend the money.
Johnson said his new initiative was shaped in part by his participation as a student in Nettie Day in which hundreds of students spread into the community to complete projects that assist organizations in need.
“My new program is a nice way to help others who love Tusculum and give back to a university that had such a positive impact on my life,” Johnson said. “I have great memories of my days at Tusculum and cannot remember a year in which I missed attending Homecoming. With these funds, Tusculum will be able to help the students who are now in the classroom and on the athletic field to reach their dreams.”
To learn more about Johnson’s new initiative, people can call him at 865-309-4307 or email him at joshua.johnson@kw.com.