In December 2020, Jessica Colter was on her way to achieving her dream of becoming
a nurse. She was a student in the ETSU College of Nursing, and once she completed
her fall semester final exams which were just around the corner, she would be one
step closer to her ultimate goal: becoming a nurse practitioner.
On Sunday, Dec. 6, Jessica and her boyfriend were on their way home from West Tennessee
where they had been on a deer hunting trip, a new hobby of Jessica’s. While there,
they had picked up a new puppy, named Gus, and were bringing him home to East Tennessee.
On their way home, Jessica’s boyfriend drove while she studied for a final exam scheduled
for the next morning.
Sadly, Jessica never made it to that exam. She and her boyfriend were killed in a horrific accident on Interstate-40 in Hickman County, which is just outside Nashville. The only survivor in the car was the dog, who now lives with Jessica’s mother.
“I could not wrap my head around the fact that this was the end,” her mother, Jennifer Gass, remembers. “She had so much to give and would have made such an impact on others.”
That evening, several of Jennifer’s girlfriends rushed to be at her side.
“One of my friends suggested that we raise $500 to start a scholarship in Jessica’s memory to continue her legacy, and she set up a GoFundMe site,” she said.
In the blink of an eye, nearly $14,000 was raised, and the amount continued to grow.
And that was just the beginning.
Jennifer worked with ETSU to establish the Jessica Colter Memorial Scholarship which provides financial support for an ETSU nursing student.
One of the first recipients was Jesse Franks.
“Being one of the first recipients of the Jessica Colter Scholarship is extremely meaningful to me and I am exceptionally fortunate to have received it,” Franks said. “It gives me a lot of motivation to continue to grow as a student nurse and be able to continue to achieve my goal of graduating with a Bachelor's in the Science of Nursing. I am excited to one day be a nurse and take care of people.
“I cannot say thank you enough to Jessica’s family for their generosity and kindness to myself as well as the other recipients of this scholarship,” she added.
The momentum to honor Jessica’s memory is also alive in her hometown of Greenveille where she graduated from Greeneville High School. In addition to the ETSU scholarship, an awards program is also available that offers scholarship funding for students in Greeneville and Greene County who are interested in a career in nursing or medicine.
Gifts in Jessica’s memory have also been used to support other events in Greene County, including the recent Monty’s Merry Christmas which provides gifts to students at Greeneville High School who are in need.Robust fundraising continues in memory of Jessica. On Feb. 10, the “Ties and Tennies Gala” was held to raise funds for the Jessica Colter Scholarship Fund as well as additional dollars for buying shoes for those in Greeneville and Greene County.
Last year, funds raised made it possible for 75 pairs of shoes to be purchased for those in need.
Another major fundraising event is the Jogging for Jess run/walk event held every August around the time of Jessica’s birthday (Aug. 24).
Jennifer, who has been joined by a strong group of friends in organizing Saturday’s gala as well as the other events, says the planning of these fundraisers is an emotional experience but also a therapeutic one.
“Our dream was to see this scholarship grow in perpetuity so that her memory will continue to touch the lives of others,” she said.
For more information, visit jessicacolterscholarship.com. Gifts to the ETSU Jessica Colter Scholarship can also be made here.