Learning

LEADING THROUGH

LEARNING

Learning and leadership are intimately related. This year, Scholars learned about the topic of addiction for the Roan Impact Focus – and the Roan launched a new initiative to promote lifelong learning for Roan Alumni.

Roan Impact Focus: Addiction

Scholars spent Academic Year 20192020 learning about and engaging in direct service around addiction, the topic of this past year’s Roan Impact Focus.

The Roan Impact Focus began in fall 2018 and Scholars focused during that first year on early childhood literacy, before selecting addiction as the next topic. Having Scholars choose a specific topic on which to focus for the academic year encourages greater conversation, collaboration, and leadership – and empowers Scholars to take ownership of the initiative.

Scholars began by reading Beth Macy's Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors, and the Drug Company that Addicted America (2018). Scholars convened for a series of book discussions, where they shared their thoughts on the work.

“Dopesick showed me the effects of addiction but most importantly, how drugs can destroy a community so quickly,” said Sam Garcia ’23.

Casey Bonnell ’22, Olivia Bostic ’23, Brianna McCoy ’20, and Addie Fairchild ’22 (l-r) traveled to North Carolina to hear Macy speak about the journey to writing her award-winning book. “In rural areas I think that we need to have more educational talks like this, so that

the younger generation knows more about addiction and ways that it can affect anyone,” said Addie.

Roan Scholars helped plan and organize a special day of educational events in November 2019. All Scholars were trained in the administration of Naloxone by students from the Gatton College of Pharmacy, an opportunity Seth Jewett ’20 helped coordinate. Scholars then heard from Richie Tannerhill, a North Carolina-based recovery specialist who himself is in long-term recovery. Tannerhill was connected to the Roan by Rebecca Frazier ’23. The day concluded with a talk by Joy Shoun, the Drug Abuse Initiative Manager for United Way of Greater Kingsport, who has extensive experience in law enforcement. Shoun was recommended by McKenzie Templeton ’22, who learned about Joy’s work while completing her Summer of Service at the United Way of Greater Kingsport.

Throughout the academic year, Scholars also found other ways to contribute to this year’s Roan Impact Focus: • Addie Fairchild ’22 and Casey

Bonnell ’22 continued their work with Students Advocating for

Harm Reduction (SAFHR). Addie and Casey were among the ETSU students who helped found the organization after participating in an Alternative Break trip on the opioid crisis. “We hosted a clothing drive during the fall semester collecting items to be donated to shelters in the community, hosted a free Narcan training opportunity for

ETSU students, and collaborated with the Sullivan County Anti-Drug

Coalition to provide free Narcan to over thirty students who attended our training and informational session on addiction,” said

Casey. SAFHR was recognized at ETSU’s 2020 Summit Awards with the “One to Watch” award for most promising new student organization. “We have made a lot of progress in our first year

and are excited about our future,” said Casey. • Jordan Teague ’22 became involved with a non-profit called

ShowerFull. The program “seeks to provide mobile shower units/ trailers and basic hygiene to our unhoused neighbors. There will be needle exchanges and other related services because we recognize the correlation between drug-use and the population we are serving,” she said. Jordan, who was also asked to join the organization’s

Board of Directors, added, “I believe that ShowerFull will improve many people’s lives in the years to come.” • Cierra Linka ’21 organized several service days for Families Free in

Johnson City, a licensed treatment and mental health provider through the Tennessee Department of

Mental Health and Substance Abuse

Services. Cierra has interned at

Families Free over the last year. She recruited Roan Scholars to join her

Roan Living Room Conversation

As the COVID-19 pandemic socially distanced us all throughout spring 2020, the need to connect – even if only virtually – never felt greater. To address this need, the Roan held its first-ever virtual Living Room Conversation in May 2020.

Living Room Conversations is a national non-profit that seeks to revitalize civil discourse through conversation. Scholars, Roan Alumni, and Roan Steering Committee members were given an opportunity to converse about impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We utilized the conversation model developed by Living Room Conversations, which was created by dialogue experts to facilitate connection between people despite their differences,” explained Roan Assistant Director Jennifer Axsom Adler.

The initial Living Room Conversation had more than 20 participants, including Roan Alumni representing classes across nearly the entire 20-year history of the program.

“This was an interesting way to address the state of the world right now. It was neat to hear different points of view from different states and age groups,” said Olivia Bostic ’23.

Several participants suggested topics for future Living Room Conversations and offered ways the format could be used to further connect Scholars, Alumni, and other Roan supporters.

“We are excited to see how we might grow and expand the use of Living Room Conversations,” said Adler. “We also hope participants will be inspired to organize conversations in their own communities. The simple act of conversation can be a powerful first step in building understanding and connection across diverse communities.”

in painting, cleaning, and organizing materials for the organization.

“I learned so much about addiction and how it affects our communities in Southern Appalachia,” said Caroline Parris ’22 about this year’s Roan Impact Focus. “All of these experiences together have shown me that leaders collaborate with others around them and reach out to other leaders for help.”

Scholars have selected ‘Sustainability in Appalachia’ as the Roan Impact Focus topic for AY 2020-2021.

Remembering Lucy Gump: The ‘Roan Reads’ Endowment

The Roan family lost a beloved member with the passing of Lucy Kennerly Gump in January 2020. One Roan effort to honor Mrs. Gump’s legacy was inspired by her love of learning and reading.

A lifelong learner, Mrs. Gump earned a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She also received master’s degrees in deaf education from the University of Tennessee and in local and regional history from ETSU.

Mrs. Gump was also an avid reader who cherished her time spent reading and discussing books and connecting with fellow members in her book clubs.

The Lucy Kennerly Gump ‘Roan Reads’ Endowment, announced in February 2020, will provide a specially selected book each year to every Roan Scholar and offer Roan Alumni the opportunity to read and discuss the same book.

“Honoring Lucy with this endowment reinforces the Roan pillar of ‘Intellectual Curiosity’ and supports the lifelong professional and personal development of Roan Scholars and Alumni,” said Melissa Steagall-Jones, Roan Steering Committee Chair. The first book selection made possible by the Lucy Kennerly Gump ‘Roan Reads’ Endowment was announced in late spring 2020. Roan Scholars and Alumni are reading David Epstein's Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World (2019) and participating (via Zoom) in small group discussions about the book.

The Roan Reads Program will allow “important conversations to unfold among Scholars and Alumni” and “foster a growth mindset for Scholars and a connection to Alumni” said Roan Steering Committee member Heather Cook ’04. “Most importantly, it will provide a continuous celebration of Lucy Gump, her story, and her love of reading,” Heather added.

“Over the years, we hope Roan Scholars and Alumni have a growing shelf of books that they can read and return to again and again, thanks to the Lucy Kennerly Gump ‘Roan Reads’ Endowment,” said Roan Director Scott Jeffress. “This endowment will carry Lucy’s spirit forward, even among future Scholars who did not have the opportunity to meet her.”

Donations to the endowment are still being accepted. To make a gift, please go to https://roanscholars. org/give and indicate the gift is for the Lucy Kennerly Gump ‘Roan Reads’ Endowment in the notes box. You may also contact Dessi Foster, Director of Development (fosterdk@etsu.edu or (423) 439-5125) with any questions or for further details.