GREENEVILLE – Middle school and high school students further developed their knowledge and skills while they learned more about Tusculum University and the value of enrolling there during a daylong visit to Tennessee’s oldest higher education institution.
A student has a good time during the Scholars Bowl
Tusculum hosted Tennessee TRIO Day Saturday, Feb. 28, which brought students from across the state to the campus. This is an annual event in Tennessee and part of a broader national celebration that highlights programs that serve students whose parents or guardians do not have a bachelor’s degree and who meet income-eligibility requirements.
“We are thrilled to bring students from across the state to Tusculum to have fun, engage in friendly competition and become more prepared for a collegiate experience,” said Dr. David Smith, executive director of TRIO programs at the university. “TRIO Day is ultimately about celebrating what Upward Bound, Upward Bound Math and Science, Educational Talent Search and Student Support Services represent at Tusculum University and what they mean for our students. Hosting this event is a real privilege for us.”
All of the programs represented at Tusculum Feb. 28 are part of TRIO and funded by federal grants. Talent Search serves middle school and high school students, while Upward Bound and Upward Bound Math and Science students come solely from high schools. SSS serves undergraduate college students. Most the programs are run by universities across the state.
Attendees and their activities
About 310 students who participate in the Upward Bound, Upward Bound Math and Science and Talent Search programs and the staff associated with them came to Tusculum. Middle school students in Talent Search competed in an Academic Bowl, and high school students in Talent Search, Upward Bound and Upward Bound Math and Science went head-to-head in a Scholars Bowl and bridge-building. All of the students attended workshops that addressed a variety of topics related to college preparation.
The first place team in the bridge-building competition shows its creation.
A student competes in the Academic Bowl.
Students who made bridges used popsicle sticks to create their structure. Catherine Pearson, director of the Upward Bound program Tusculum leads for Cocke and Hawkins counties, who chaired the planning for Tennessee TRIO Day, said the exercise strengthened students’ spatial awareness and mathematical skills and understanding of the forces of physics.
Once students completed the bridges, they were put the test. Pearson and others used water and sand bags to apply weight to the bridge to see how much it could withstand before collapsing. The bridge the first place Monroe County team built withstood the maximum force and did not break.
Students in the Scholars Bowl competition participated in a quiz bowl, which included questions on subjects such as computational math to history to literature, fine arts and current events. Pearson said these students honed their active listening and quick recall and relied on their reflexes to press the button quickly. They also built their confidence and teamwork ability.
The Academic Bowl included items such as spelling and general knowledge tests that showcased students’ skills.
One can see a list of the winners at https://www3.tusculum.edu/news/tusc-family/2026/competition-winners-at-2026-tennessee-trio-day/. First place teams advance to regional competition.
“I hope the students have gotten a chance to meet other students that are a lot like them from across the state and get a sense that they are part of something bigger,” Pearson said. “TRIO isn’t just one program at one school or one advisor. TRIO is a nationwide effort to make sure that kids just like them have a shot at going to college and succeeding. It can open doors for them that they might not have considered otherwise. Also, if they are going to college and start the application progress and run across Tusculum as an option, they will remember their visit to the university and have the impression, ‘I like those people. I like that campus.’”
Hearing more about Tusculum
As part of his remarks at the onset of Tennessee TRIO Day, Dr. Scott Hummel, Tusculum’s president, encouraged the students to take their education seriously.
Left to right, Dr. Scott Hummel, Kyler Glover and Dr. David Smith were three of the speakers at Tennessee TRIO Day.
“Seize your educational journey,” he said. “What an incredible opportunity you have. The opportunities that are provided because of an education are immense. There is no way I could have become a teacher, a university professor, a vice president of a university and then a university president if it wasn’t for seizing my opportunities in higher education.”
He touted the value of a Tusculum education, saying that professors know their students’ names and come to learn more about them as individuals. He said they will know if a student can do better and push him or her to be their best. He shared about the success of Tusculum alumni, including Kyle Cavanaugh, who serves as president of NBA administration. He said that would not have been possible without the education he received from Tusculum.
Dr. Hummel also praised TRIO staff members and the way they undergird students. More than 50 percent of Tusculum students are first-generation college students and come from lower-income households. He said that support for students is prevalent among all other staff at Tusculum as well.
Conner White, admissions coordinator, spoke with the students and talked about other benefits of Tusculum. He emphasized the faith-based approach to education, Tusculum’s rich Presbyterian heritage and the active and experiential method of learning that permeates the university.
“We put of lot of time and care into making sure that you are getting the education that you need,” White said. “We have a smaller student-to-teacher ratios than some schools. Tusculum also has a strong relationship with the Greeneville community.”
To address the expense of going to college, Tusculum provides financial support for students, White said. He said the average student receives $23,000 a year in financial support.
Dr. Hummel told the students that the university’s commitment to serving first-generation students illustrates the institution’s pioneering spirit.
Erin Frizzell, Tusculum’s dean of students, encouraged those in the audience who choose to attend Tusculum to take advantage of the resources in the Office of Student Affairs. She touted the intramurals activities available at Tusculum, such as pickleball, beach volleyball and flag football, and the clubs and academic teams, such as quiz bowl, available at Tusculum. She also said Student Affairs is an ear to listen when students are struggling and a conduit to help them receive the assistance they need.
Dr. Chuck Pearson, assistant dean of math and science at Tusculum, who coaches the university’s quiz bowl team, encouraged the high school and middle school students, to consider enrolling at the institution and becoming part of the team. He introduced the current team and noted that these players compete against prominent universities in the Southeast.
Perspectives of students
Greeneville High School seniors Shilo Wang and Peyton Bergquist came to TRIO Day as members of the Upward Bound Math and Science program at Tusculum. Wang said she really liked quiz bowl and the opportunity to be part of a two-person team with Bergquist. She is competitive and likes to have an outlet that feeds that interest and to use the niche knowledge she has gained. The two finished in second place as a team in the Scholars Bowl, and Wang came in second in the individual category.
These students show their bridge.
Shilo Wang, left, and Peyton Bergquist compete in the Scholars Bowl.
Speaking about the benefits of TRIO, Bergquist emphasized the assistance it provides with entering college.
“TRIO has helped me learn how to go through the process of applying to college and getting ready for college,” she said.
Octavio Corrales, who came from Knoxville as part of the University of Tennessee Academic Enrichment Upward Bound program, which he said has helped him learn about the opportunities at that institution. He participated in the bridge-building activity during Tennessee TRIO Day.
“I’ve been having lots of fun,” he said. “We’re working as a team. Teamwork definitely gets something going.”
One of the other people who attended Tennessee TRIO Day was Kyler Glover, field representative for Congresswoman Diana Harshbarger, who represents Tusculum and much of East Tennessee. She has been a major supporter of TRIO programs. Glover said she sent her best wishes to all of the students who came to the Feb. 28 event.
“Today is a day about teamwork, learning, growing, believing in yourself and knowing that your future is bright and full of opportunity no matter your background,” he said. “I hope you have a great day.”
Additional information about Tennessee TRIO is available at https://www.facebook.com/tasptrio/. Further details about the TRIO programs at Tusculum can be accessed at https://site.tusculum.edu/student-success/academic-affairs/first-gen/. To learn more about the university, please visit www.tusculum.edu.