ETSU’s Roan Scholars Leadership Program is not just providing students with the financial means to attend college, it is building community leaders.
Four students started school last fall as the inaugural recipients of the program, and the process of selecting four more to start at ETSU next fall is underway.
The program began in 1997 as the brainchild of Louis H. Gump, a community leader and ETSU supporter.
The program was modeled after the Morehead Scholars Program, which Gump was a recipient of at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
“President Paul Stanton, Mr. Gump and the university advancement office have worked diligently to get this off the ground,” said Dr. Nancy Dishner, the program director .
During its designing phase, the program was able to raise $3 million.
“The next goal for the program is $10 million, and with possibly as many as 20 scholars a year,” she said.
The main purpose of the Roan Scholars Leadership Program is to provide extraordinary leadership development opportunities, with the goal of building future community leaders.
With a dynamic leadership curriculum, interaction with current leaders and community service programs the students take part in, the program hopes to build in students a desire for community service, Dishner said.
The selection process for the next group of Roan Scholars is ongoing.
Several area high school seniors have been nominated since the regional interviews in December.
Students do not apply for the award, but instead are nominated by their high school principals on the basis of four areas of excellence: character, leadership, scholarship and physical activity.
The scholarship award, which is renewable for three years, covers tuition, housing, meals and books. The Dell Computer Company also provides each of the roan scholars with a computer.

Author