Stories
Because Vols Help Vols.
By supporting the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, you are changing lives. Your generosity ensures hardworking Volunteers are able to achieve their dreams. Your support creates a better future for our Volunteer community through exceptional student experiences, access to expert faculty, top-ranked academic programs, and enhanced learning environments.
We are grateful for your thoughtful demonstration of the Volunteer spirit.
Your Impact
Giving
UT Surpasses 100,000 Unique Donors in ‘Join the Journey’ Campaign
“When our alumni and friends make one gift, of any size, each year, it makes a big difference. Their loyalty and support create opportunities for students and will have a lifelong effect on our campus,” said Chip Bryant, vice chancellor for advancement. Make a Gift Thanks to the generosity of many Volunteers, the University of …
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Giving
What Volunteers Are All About
Vol basketball’s Admiral Schofield (’19) learned valuable insights about leadership through the VOLeaders Academy. Make a Gift In 2017, Admiral Schofield’s VOLeaders cohort visited Vietnam. “To see the orphanages and how many kids are there,” says Schofield, “and to see what they go through postwar, and then see the impact we have through sport, we …
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Giving
Better Leaders. Better People. Beacons for the World.
Vol basketball’s Grant Williams learned to touch hearts in the VOLeaders Academy. Make a Gift Playing wheelchair basketball in Ecuador, Grant Williams realized how he could use his sport to make a difference. “There was a man who had just recently been paralyzed,” says Williams. “He was nervous about playing, but I showed him he …
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Giving
Creating Opportunities for Experiential Learning
Nick Giecek’s passions come together in adaptive recreation sports. Make a Gift “I am passionate about sports,” says Nick Giecek, who played hockey and lacrosse during his years at Knoxville Catholic High. “But more importantly, I am passionate about helping people with disabilities.” Giecek’s twin brother, Drew, has an intellectual disability and autism. “Having a …
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Giving
Faculty, Staff Show Volunteer Spirit by Giving Back to UT
For six years in a row, faculty and staff have chosen to support UT through the Big Orange Family Campaign. This year, the campaign reached 61.6 percent participation, with a record number of faculty and staff members donating to the university. Some of the largest participation growth in the campaign was among Facilities Services employees. …
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Giving
Endowing a Legacy of Excellence
Rachel Rui creates an endowment in memory of her late husband. Make a Gift Rachel Rui (’09, ’14), assistant to the chancellor of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, recently created the Harrison Pang and Rachel Rui International Excellence Endowment to honor the memory of her late husband Harrison Pang (’10, ’11), a former UT employee, …
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Giving
Trustees Approve Naming of the Clay and Debbie Jones Center for Leadership and Service
The Jones family made a landmark gift of $5 million to the center to enhance programs and initiatives offered to students. Make a Gift UT has named a campus hub for educating and engaging students in meaningful leadership and service opportunities in recognition of alumnus Clay Jones and his wife Debbie. The Jones family made …
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Giving
Four-Time Alumna and Faculty Member Gives Back for More Than 50 Years
“I want other people to have the same opportunities that I’ve had. This money helps students with scholarships and other expenses. I know how important it is and I want to pay it forward.” Make a Gift The door to Sandra Thomas’s office on the third floor of the College of Nursing features a menagerie …
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Giving
Third Annual Alumni Scholarship Challenge
On February 25, 2019, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, alumni chapters and councils from around the country will compete in the third annual Alumni Scholarship Challenge. The weeklong campaign is an exciting time to see the Volunteer family come together to support current and future students in their area. Last year, over $60,000 was raised from …
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