Every Frontier Needs a Pioneer

Since 1794, Tusculum University has equipped students to step into new frontiers with purpose, community, and faith. From our earliest days on the Appalachian frontier to the evolving world our graduates enter today, we have remained true to our mission: to provide an education that prepares students for meaningful lives and impactful careers. Though the frontiers have changed over 230 years, our commitment has not.

Today, nearly sixty percent of Tusculum students are the first in their families to attend college. Their courage, discipline, and hope embody the spirit of Tusculum’s founders, young people stepping boldly into new territory for themselves and for generations to come.

Students Who Are Changing Their Futures and Ours

Among these trailblazers is Madison McGinnis, a senior sport science major from Knoxville.
“It’s a good feeling to know that I’m the first in my family to come to college. They’re proud of me. It sets a standard for my family,” Madison shared. “I wanted to get my education. I felt like I couldn’t get the job I wanted without the degree.”

Her determination is echoed by fellow senior Stephen Brewer, whose advice is simple but powerful:
“One piece of advice I can give is to always, day by day, put one foot in front of the other.”

For Jerry Ricker of Kingsport, cross country runner, track athlete, and first-generation student, the value of education extends beyond personal achievement.
“I’m hoping to be an example for my brothers and sisters. It’s a big motivator for me going through college being first generation.”

And William Watson IV, a business student, captures the heart of why your generosity matters:
“This is my chance to change my life and create a better future for myself and my family.”

Every day, Tusculum students write stories of resilience, purpose, and transformation. And every day, donors like you make those stories possible.

A Campus Transformed by Opportunity

You can see transformation happening across campus—nowhere more clearly than in the Thomas J. Garland Library. The library regularly fills with students studying, collaborating, and discovering new passions. During First Generation Celebration Day, the library hosted an exhibit that lifted up first-generation voices and highlighted authors whose journeys reflect our students’ own paths.

The Garland Library is more than a building; it is the academic heart of Tusculum. With donor support, the Garland Library Refresh will:

• Upgrade technology

• Enhance flexible study and collaboration spaces

• Preserve the library as a vibrant center of learning for decades to come

Frontiers: A Campaign for Tusculum University

Tusculum’s comprehensive campaign, Frontiers, is a $13.5 million initiative designed to fortify student success, expand opportunity, and prepare the university for the future. Your year-end gift can directly support:

AFFORDABILITY

Gap Scholarships – $250,000
Help close the final financial gap that keeps talented students, especially those from low-income families, from enrolling or persisting.

First Generation Scholarships – $125,000
Empower students who are breaking generational barriers and stepping into new opportunities.

General Scholarship Fund – $500,000
Provide the broadest support for student scholarships across all programs and needs.

Endowed Scholarships – beginning at $25,000
Establish a permanent, named scholarship that honors someone meaningful to you. Endowed levels include:

• Trustee Scholar – $750,000

• President’s Scholar – $500,000

• Honors Scholar – $250,000

• Pioneer Scholar – $125,000

• Endowed Scholarship – $25,000 (minimum)

Legacy Scholarships allow donors to honor professors, staff members, or loved ones who shaped their lives.

STUDENT EXPERIENCE

Opportunities that deepen learning, strengthen programs, and enrich campus life:

Faculty & Program Endowments

• Endowed Chair – $1,000,000

• Endowed Professorship – $500,000

• Endowed Visiting Professorship – $250,000

University Division Naming Opportunities

• Business Division – $2,000,000

• Education & Humanities – $1,000,000

• Civic & Liberal Arts – $750,000

• Science & Technology – $750,000

Campus Enhancements

• Dorm Refresh Campaign 2.0 – $125,000

• Pioneer Field Turf – $2,000,000

• Football Skybox Refresh – $125,000

• Indoor Practice Field – $750,000

• Basketball Court Replacement – $250,000

FUTURE FOCUS

Tusculum is preparing students not just for jobs, but for lives of leadership, service, and innovation.

Your support helps advance:

• The Freedom Center, promoting individual liberty, free enterprise, and entrepreneurial leadership

• The Christian Leadership Living & Learning Community, guiding students to live their faith with integrity in private and public life

• Expanded career services, internships, and mentoring

• New academic programs, minors, research opportunities, and expanded STEM offerings

Your Gift Changes Lives

Every gift, no matter the size, strengthens the journey of a student like Madison, Stephen, Jerry, or William. Every act of generosity opens doors, lifts burdens, and lights the way for the Pioneers who follow.

When you give to Tusculum, you do more than support a university.
You change lives. You change families. And together, we shape the future.

Please consider making your tax-deductible year-end gift by December 31.
You can give online at www.tusculum.edu/giving, scan the QR code, or mail your gift to:

Tusculum University
Office of Institutional Advancement
P.O. Box 5040
Greeneville, TN 37745

If you have questions or would like to discuss a Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD) or planned gift, call us at 423.636.0525.

Thank you for believing in our mission—and in the students who live it out every day. Your generosity helps Tusculum University build a future defined by courage, compassion, and purpose.

Because every frontier needs a pioneer.

Go Pioneers!
Scott Hummel, Ph.D.
President, Tusculum University