Making a Difference for 25 Years: Scholarships at CFMT
Going to college costs money, and lots of it. For the past quarter-century, thousands of students have had their educational dreams become reality, thanks to The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee’s scholarship program. CFMT has awarded $27.7 million in scholarships to 10,450 students since 1995. “We feel honored to help students receive a quality education, made possible by donors who wish to make a difference,” said CFMT President Ellen Lehman. “It is a privilege to connect generosity with need in this way.” Whether a student is studying law or horticulture, planning a career in criminal justice or teaching, or studying at a technical school or four-year university, The Foundation’s scholarship program administers more than 125 individual scholarship funds that help support individuals from various backgrounds and communities. Pat Cole, senior coordinator of scholarships at The Community Foundation, began overseeing the program in 2005 after a long and successful career with Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS). “Ellen had asked me to join The Foundation three times,” Pat recalled. “I said I’d do it for a little while after I retired from MNPS, and I’m still here.” She fully realizes the impact of the program. “Scholarships change lives,” Pat said. “Often, students would not be able to attend college without them.”
Students benefiting from The Community Foundation’s scholarship program through the years include Muna Muday (top photo), Rachel Lawrence (middle), and Jeremiah Cooper (above).
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Emily Green, a CFMT scholarship recipient, funded her education through two different scholarships, each focused on a different field of study. A harpist, she pursued a music major at Vanderbilt University, and received the Teddy Wilburn Scholarship. The estate of Wilburn, a Grand Ole Opry star singer, songwriter and producer, established the scholarship fund — designed for Tennessee State and Vanderbilt University students — after his death in 2003. With his singing career beginning at age 9, he
never had the chance to attend college and wanted to help eager students in need of financial aid. “I was really fortunate to run across CFMT while researching financial assistance,” Emily said. “I was on scholarship with Vanderbilt, as they have a lot of scholarships and grants available as well. But even with that, there are still extra expenses, and as a young person getting started, every little bit helps. “It can be the difference between needing a loan,” she said, “and not needing a loan.” After completing her undergraduate education, Emily decided to pursue law school, again at Vanderbilt. She applied for and received CFMT’s William McHugh and Lou Gower McHugh Scholarship for law school students. A few years after graduation, she went on to co-found her own law practice –Jones, Green & Tackett Law – in Springfield, Tennessee. “With the student debt crisis, these scholarships can keep you from graduating with debt or with less debt,” Emily said. “They can be a huge benefit to people. “This makes a huge difference to kids.” “Throughout the process, I couldn’t have had more encouragement and support than I did from Pat,” Emily said. “The Community Foundation as a whole makes a student believe they can do anything.” That’s music to Pat Cole’s ears. “For me,” Pat said, “I love working with students and hearing their stories.” Like Emily Green, Cole continues to stay in touch with scores of students who have benefited from CFMT’s scholarship program. Trehon Cockrell-Coleman wanted to attend college but avoid accruing a lot of debt. His hard work and diligence paid off when he was awarded a CFMT scholarship award. Trehon moved forward to graduate with a degree in computer engineering from Tennessee State University in 2010 and continues to thrive in the field today as a production test engineer for Raytheon Technologies.
