Vols Beat Cancer Scholarship Endowment

Cohl Morgan, a Knoxville native, has always been a Volunteer. Cohl attended the University of Tennessee where he majored in Finance and worked on campus as a student worker. Since graduating in 2019, Cohl has worked in Knoxville as a commercial real estate broker at SVN | Wood Properties. On March 25, 2025, while working in the office, Cohl received a phone call that many people fear. He had been diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin lymphoma and would have to start chemotherapy treatments immediately. At the age of 27, Cohl was in complete shock after receiving the diagnosis. Although the days following the diagnosis were difficult, Cohl was determined to see something positive come from a terrible situation. After doing his own research, he found that limited resources were available for UT students who are battling cancer.

That’s how the Vols Beat Cancer Endowment was founded.

George Brown, UT Alumni, President & CEO of SVN | Wood Properties, shared the following about Cohl’s diagnosis.

“I’ll never forget the day that Cohl learned he had cancer. We were shocked and shaken. Our team has many young people, so this news especially affected them. But after a day or two, Cohl had shifted his mindset to, “I’m going to beat this…How can I create something good out of it?” That’s where Cohl’s grit and creativity kicked in. He applied the same effort and ingenuity he has deployed in his brokerage career to this cancer battle. He was already physically active, but he doubled down his workouts. Always an early riser, he started waking even earlier. Always thinking of ways to grow his and our company’s revenue, his creative ideas flourished even more. Then came the idea that would become Vols Beat Cancer. That was the breakthrough that enabled him to take something bad and turn it to good. I can’t wait to see the impact it will have on UT students for generations to come.”

UT’s official and iconic symbol, the Torchbearer, displays the Volunteer Creed: one that beareth a torch shadoweth oneself to give light to others. An ideal that Vols lead wherever they are, creating a path for others to follow and benefit from. Cohl’s battle with cancer, his commitment to help his fellow Volunteers, and the creation of the Vols Beat Cancer endowment embodies the spirit of the Torchbearer.

UT Libraries Business Services Office shared the following about Cohl’s time on campus:

“Cohl’s exceptional leadership, confidence, and unwavering dedication to supporting others left a lasting impression on everyone who worked with him. His Volunteer spirit continues to exemplify his values as he sponsors a scholarship to support students diagnosed with cancer. We are inspired by his commitment to making a meaningful difference in the lives of others.”

This scholarship will provide financial support to any active UT student who has been diagnosed with cancer. Battling and beating cancer is an emotionally, physically, and financially burdensome process. Being a student while battling cancer can be even more burdensome. This scholarship would enable students to focus on their battle with cancer and their studies. Your contributions could significantly impact a student’s decision to continue or complete their degree, and your gift could be life changing.

Jimmy Cheek, Chancellor Emeritus, University of Tennessee, Knoxville shared the following:

“This amazing story is about the power of the Tennessee Volunteer Spirit! What Cohl did is the essence of that spirit—during personal adversity he had the courage to take the initiative to help others! This young Tennessee Alumni created and funded a scholarship endowment that will last into perpetuity and positively impact the lives of students with cancer on our campus!”

Cohl is expected to be finished with treatments and fully recovered soon. He hopes that this story, and your gifts to this endowment, help students battling cancer for decades to come and shows that a diagnosis does not define who you are, but what you do with it does.

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