25 Years of Excellence, Impact, and Gratitude
Excellence. Impact. Gratitude.
This fall marks a significant milestone for the Roan Scholars Leadership Program at East Tennessee State University. Twenty-five years after welcoming its inaugural class of four extraordinary students, the Roan now celebrates over 100 alumni who lead and serve throughout the region and across the country.
What began as a vision to cultivate exceptional leaders rooted in the region has evolved into a premier scholarship program that inspires and shapes transformative individuals to impact ETSU, their communities, and the world.
Planting Roots
The success of the program traces back to one man’s vision. The late community leader and philanthropist Louie H. Gump established the Roan in 1997 with a belief that the Appalachian region possessed untapped leadership potential. Gump, who passed away in 2022 at age 83, envisioned a program that would identify exceptional high school seniors from the region, providing them with comprehensive leadership development alongside their education at ETSU. In the fall of 2000, after Gump and others raised enough to endow four scholarships, the program welcomed its first four Roan Scholars from among nearly 50 nominees across 21 local counties. Since then, the Roan has expanded far beyond its original scope.
Growth and Expansion
Today, the Roan continues to experience growth, realizing key elements of Gump’s vision and celebrating significant milestones along the way. This fall, the Roan will serve 40 scholars, including 29 returning students and 11 incoming members of the Class of 2029, representing the largest cohort in program history. The Roan’s geographic reach has widened to meet Gump’s vision of selecting students from a 250-300-mile radius, now encompassing six states: Tennessee, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia. Interest has also surged with over 1,000 students requesting applications last year.
Hallmarks of Excellence
But numbers only tell part of the story. The true measure of the Roan’s success lies in the quality of the scholars — and their achievements. The program's foundation rests on three core values that define every Roan Scholar: excellence, impact, and gratitude. The pillars of the Roan also guide the selection of its scholars, seeking out those with a strong character, leadership qualities, intellectual curiosity, and a commitment to physical vigor. These pillars and principles have guided Roan Scholars to remarkable heights, including national recognition that places ETSU among elite institutions.
In each of the past two years, Roan Scholars have been selected as Rhodes Scholarship finalists, with Shivam Patel ’22 and Trent White ’25 earning this prestigious distinction. The program has also produced back-to-back Truman Scholars: White and Leah Loveday ’26, who exemplify a commitment to public service that is shared by many Roans.
Roan Scholars have also earned recognition at the state level. Nathan Farnor ’18 serves on the Volunteer Tennessee Commission, while KeiAndra Harper ’23 (pictured at left) is a Governor's Management Fellow. Most recently, Loveday and Natalie White ’26 were two of just five undergraduates in the state to receive the 2025 Harold Love Outstanding Community Service Award, demonstrating the Roan's emphasis on servant leadership.
These achievements reflect the comprehensive leadership development opportunities that are available to Roan Scholars. While supporting scholars to prestigious recognition, the Roan challenges them through carefully designed experiential learning opportunities that build character, expand perspectives, enhance leadership skills, and deepen their commitment to service. During their time in the program, Roans participate in signature programs like the Summer of Service and Outdoor Leadership Challenge, challenging internships made possible through Extraordinary Opportunity Grants, Leadership Explorations in locations across the country, and Study Abroad in locations around the globe. All of these opportunities expose Roan Scholars to new people, places, and perspectives as well as innovative approaches to leadership challenges.
Alumni Impact
The benefits of this comprehensive approach become clear through the remarkable trajectories of Roan alumni, who continue their commitment to leadership excellence long after graduation. Today, 113 Roan alumni live, work, and contribute to diverse communities as business owners, teachers, doctors, attorneys, nurses, advocates, military officers, and entrepreneurs. They have run for elected office, served as congressional staffers, worked in the arts and higher education, served overseas with the Peace Corps, and created and led non-profits.
Roan alumni lead professional organizations and have been recognized at state, regional, and national levels for excellence in their fields - and as volunteers and community leaders. More than 60 percent pursue advanced degrees, reflecting the program's emphasis on lifelong learning and professional development. Their achievements demonstrate how they are translating their undergraduate experience within the Roan into meaningful leadership and impact across the region and beyond after their time at ETSU.
Alumni also remain deeply connected to the Roan community, mentoring current scholars, serving on Regional Interview and Steering Committees, and providing financial support to help ensure the Roan's continued growth.
Looking Ahead
The Roan’s 25-year journey reflects tremendous community support and a steadfast commitment to developing leaders who embody the core values and principles of the program. “The vision that began with Mr. Gump's generous spirit and four determined students has become a lasting legacy that will continue shaping leaders for generations to come,” said Executive Director Scott Jeffress. “As we celebrate this milestone, we also look forward to the next quarter-century, focusing on further enhancing the Roan experience to better challenge, inspire, and connect Roans so that they can develop into stronger leaders who will make an even greater impact on our world.”
Read more incredible stories in the Summer 2025 Edition of ETSU Today. #BucsGoBeyond
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