Notes from the Director

January 30, 2014 by artsciweb

Notes from the Director

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Notes from the Director

It was three years ago that I became the Director of College Scholars. My predecessor, Dr. Chris Craig, told me that I now had the best job in all of higher education. Although I was looking forward to working with the Scholars, I didn’t really believe the superlative. I now know that he spoke the truth. No one else has the joy of working with such talented, motivated and creative students.

Now forty years old, College Scholars is the premier undergraduate honors program at the University of Tennessee. I regularly say that College Scholars are the most interesting students at UT. Each year, Scholars do amazing things both in and out of the classroom. This academic year has seen three outstanding theatrical productions by seniors Brock Ward, Ethan Roeder and Kolt Free, a photography exhibition by senior Sarah O’Leary and an insightful series of columns on homelessness in Knoxville in the Daily Beacon by senior R. J. Vogt. Two seniors, David Morse and Kenna Rewcastle, are finalists for a Fulbright Fellowship. Two juniors, Summer Awad and Alana Stein, have been nominated for the Truman Scholarship. And we still have several months left in the year.

Along with the new Alumni Advisory Board we are developing a strategic plan to ensure that College Scholars maintains its excellence. A key part of that plan is to strengthen our connection to alumni. In this internet age we are working to build our presence on social media: Facebook and LinkedIn. You can find a link to our Facebook page on the College Scholars website, scholars.utk.edu. It currently has 163 “likes”. We post photos and news of the program regularly. You can also join our closed LinkedIn group that includes about 160 alumni and current students. Send us an e-mail to receive an invitation. There are plans to develop a searchable on-line alumni directory. Other parts of the plan include raising the profile of College Scholars, both on and off campus, building a stronger community among the current students, and, of course, fund raising.

I have been trying to send out news of the program more frequently by e-mail. If you have not provided us with your e-mail address, please send it to scholars@utk.edu so we can add you to the distribution list.

40th Anniversary Celebration

January 30, 2014 by artsciweb

40th Anniversary Celebration

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40th Anniversary Celebration

2013-2014 was the 40th anniversary of College Scholars, a year of celebration highlighted by the first ever reunion on Saturday, March 1. We celebrated the year in several ways. First, we set a goal of raising an unprecedented $10,000 for the College Scholars Excellence Fund and we exceeded that goal. Second, we compiled a 40th Anniversary History which is available from Van-Griner Publishing. Finally, we organized the reunion consisting of an afternoon panel discussion on the past, present, and future of College Scholars followed by a gala dinner at Holly’s Corner which featured a keynote address by Ellen Godbey Carson (‘76), one of the original thirteen Scholars.

In her keynote address, Ellen Carson, introduced the Japanese saying, “Okage sama de”, meaning, “I am what I am because of you.” She ended with a challenge to her fellow alumni.

“I will always have a tender place in my heart for the College Scholars program. I have loved the freedom College Scholars provides. We can meet new people, go new places, plan our own schedule, experience different study settings and pursue our own dreams. I hope each of us commits today to contribute in concrete and meaningful ways to the Scholars program. With our help, College Scholars can be even more successful.

We are what we are only because of those who came before us and supported us. We have a duty, from all we have been given, to do our utmost to leave the world a better place. Whatever your passion is, Go for Broke, and pursue it with gratitude for those who helped you be who you are. Okage sama de.”

Two current Scholars, R. J. Vogt and Hanna Lustig, have written a report on the reunion which is available on our website (https://scholars.utk.edu/reunion.php), along with a slide show of photographs by another current scholar, Richard Prince.