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Living Their Best Lives on Campus
TSUAg students taking advantage of USDA 1890 Scholars Program to live their best lives here on campus | By Charlie Morrison
The USDA’s 1890 Scholars Program, a program that has since 1992 impacted the lives of students across the 1890 land-grant university system, continues to do so right here on campus at Tennessee State University’s College of Agriculture (TSUAg). Last year, the program saw seven TSUAg students get full rides to the University and here at TSUAg, the recipients are utilizing the support to live their best lives here on campus.
“Having the scholarship has enabled me to stay more on top of my schoolwork, put much more effort into things, and remember why I am here.”
Here at TSUAg, the seven scholarship recipients are sponsored by a variety of USDA agencies, reflecting the students’ varied interests in agriculture. Lauryn Jones and Jai Lewis are sponsored by the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service. Dominique Smith is sponsored by the USDA’s Rural Development agency, while Taryn Nooks is backed by the USDA Farm Service Agency. Zaria Hobbs and Charity McWilliams receive their scholarship support from the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service and Aidan Dunn’s scholarship comes from the USDA National Insititute of Food and Agriculture.
The 1890 Scholars Program was kicked off in 1992 after the USDA reached a working agreement to support the 19 1890 land-grant universities, including TSU. This past year the organization sponsored 100 students across the 1890 system. The scholarships, backed financially by respective agencies within the USDA, provide recipients with full tuition, fees, books, room, and board. Students must perform in the classroom and hold a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 to keep the scholarship, which may be renewed each year.
The USDA’s Office of Partnerships and Public Engagement manages the program, which is aimed at improving the availability of educational and career opportunities for students from rural or underserved communities and driving students from rural and underserved communities who study food, agriculture, natural resources and other related sciences to 1890s like TSU.
For the recipients of the scholarships themselves, the biggest benefit of being supported by the USDA is that it frees them to pursue their academic interests with complete abandon, free from the financial pressure university attendance can come with. In short, the backing of the USDA allows them to truly live their best lives on campus.
“The receipt of a USDA scholarship has impacted my life at TSU by allowing me to be more receptive to opportunities that come my way,” said rising senior Lauryn Jones, who studies food and animal science at the College.
“Without this scholarship, I do not know if I would be able to receive internships for the summer. Having the scholarship has enabled me to stay more on top of my schoolwork, put much more effort into things, and remember why I am here.”
“It was very helpful in regard to my studies. It took some stress away from my schoolwork and allowed me to focus on getting into my actual field. I was able to contribute to organizations I was a part of and I didn’t have to worry about all of these balances that are due,” said agribusiness student and scholarship recipient Dominique Smith.
“I was able to branch out and develop leadershipwise in such a way that I’ve been able to speak to large crowds at events, participate in organizations, and just grow,” she continued. “I was just able to develop skills that I didn’t come to TSU with my freshman year.”
For Smith, living her best life on campus includes the bonus that her USDA scholarship provides her, the opportunity to shadow work and intern as a loan technician with USDA’s Rural Development Agency right here in Nashville. There she assists with direct loans, repair grants, and loans for the rural communities.
“Through my studies, I aimed to not only acquire the skills necessary to address food insecurity and food deserts in disadvantaged communities but also to leverage opportunities to actively contribute to healthier living environments,” says Smith.
