Heather Mullins
Heather Mullins had a firm plan for her
future. She knew she wanted to follow in the footsteps of her
great-grandfather as a pharmacist. The only real question was, where
would she attend college? With scholarship offers from several other
universities, she faced a difficult choice.
“I knew in my heart that I wanted to come to Knoxville,” said
Mullins. “At the same time, I had scholarship offers from several other
schools and I was truly torn.”
Heather’s dilemma was solved when she received notification of her
financial aid package from UT Knoxville, which covered her entire
financial need. “Honestly, I was probably going to another school for
undergrad if it were not for my scholarships.”
Today, donors to the Fund for the Future are continuing to help
Heather fulfill her dreams. “My husband (also a UT grad) and I got
married just before I started grad school. About a week before our
wedding, I got a call from the College of Pharmacy telling me that I had
been selected as a UTAA Scholar. He was in seminary school and we were
both under a lot of stress financially....I was literally standing in
the middle of a department store when I got the call and I just started
yelling in the store. I was shocked!”
Heather has a message for donors to the Fund for the Future: “I
can’t thank you enough for what you have done. You lifted a burden and
truly changed my life, and I will forever be grateful.”
Jenny Tinkle
"I can't thank those who are supporting this effort enough. Without my UTAA scholarship, my college experience would have been much, much different. It has allowed me to be so much more involved on campus. I'm putting everything I can into my education because I want our donors to know that we really appreciate what they've done. I want to make them proud."
Jenny Tinkle
Microbiology
UT Knoxville
UTAA Andy Holt Scholar
Katrina McLean
"I am proud of my scholarship. I feel like the work that I put in has been rewarded, and that is a great feeling. My brother just graduated from Rhodes College and is now in grad school at Georgia, plus my younger brother is getting ready to start college, so I'd like to thank the donors for helping relieve the burden on my parents. It has made a difference for my family."
Katrina McLean
Sports Management
UT Chattanooga
Student Alumni Council Scholar
Ryan Thomas
"I have the deepest gratitude for what the alumni have done for me. I just can't put it into words how much it means. Without question, my scholarship has taken a load off of me having to worry about money. I know most of my classmates are having to finance all their expenses through student loans and I see daily the added stress they are under. I'm so thankful I don't have to go through that."
Ryan Thomas
Dentistry
UT Health Science Center
UTAA Andy Holt Scholar
Katelin Turner
"I don't think donors can ever know where their gifts stop. They are having a lifetime impact on me. I've grown in every possible aspect of my life and I can't help but think how things would be different if it were not for my scholarship from the Alumni Association."
Katelin Turner
Biology
UT Martin
UTAA Andy Holt Scholar
Dr. Joseph V. Carcello
Dr. Joseph V. Carcello"I've been fortunate to receive professional awards over the years but this one was pretty significant.You get into this business to teach, and to be recognized for my teaching was very flattering and really, it was a big honor for me. Having the recognition for a job well done is very meaningful."
Dr. Joseph V. Carcello
UTAA Outstanding Teaching Award Winner
Ernst & Young Professor in the Department
of Accounting and Information Management, UT Knoxville
David and Debbie Ingram
David and Debbie IngramDavid and Debbie Ingram have a unique relationship with the University of Tennessee. David holds a degree in Business Administration from UT Knoxville and Debbie has two UT degrees, one from UT Chattanooga as well as a Doctorate in Education from UTK. Debbie also has been a faculty member in the UTC Department of Physical Therapy for nearly 20 years. Both have served on an extensive list of boards, committees, and councils all in the name of higher education. Today, their daughter Alex is a graduate student at UT Knoxville, studying Child and Family Studies. They are truly a UT family.
Through their involvement in the UT Alumni Association, David and Debbie have become strong advocates and supporters of the Fund for the Future and Debbie has no problem encouraging others to give. "We have seen first-hand the impact the Alumni Association has on our university. I've seen it impact students. I've seen the appreciation of our faculty for just a little bit of recognition and we have both seen it with the legislature. David and I both feel strongly in the mission of this organization. I promise you, it is worthy of our support."