Twenty Years

It all began with a breakfast. Inspired by his own experience as a Morehead Scholar at UNC Chapel Hill, Mr. Louie Gump shared his idea for a leadership program with ETSU’s new president, Dr. Paul Stanton. Later that year, a Roan Scholarship endowment was established with an initial gift from Mr. Gump, and others in the community soon followed his lead.

By the fall of 2000, ETSU was welcoming the first class of Roan Scholars. Today – twenty years after that first class arrived on campus - there are 74 Roan Alumni and 32 current Roan Scholars. Among the Roan Class of 2024 is the individual who will graduate as our 100th alum.

The Roan has always recognized that effective leaders are needed everywhere – in every profession, organization, and community. Our current Scholars are involved in a remarkably diverse set of campus and community activities. Roan Alumni are teachers, authors, business owners, military professionals, doctors, attorneys, non-profit directors and more. While these remarkable individuals are different in many respects, what they have in common is a recognition of the amazing opportunities they have been given and a strong sense of responsibility to pay that gift forward, to lead with excellence and impact.

The numbers on the facing page help tell the story of an incredible year for the Roan. Reflecting on the past 20 years, a few other numbers highlight some of the ways in which the Program has grown and matured: 2 Student Trustees appointed to ETSU’s Board of Trustees (in just four years) 6 Roan Scholars / Alumni selected as IDEAcademy speakers since that TEDx-like event began in 2016 20 Annual Outdoor Leadership Challenges, a tradition for every incoming Roan class, during which new leadership skills and indelible friendships have been forged 257 Community leaders who have served on our Steering Committee and/or Regional Interview Committee 489 People and organizations who have supported the Roan financially 10,000+ Roan Summer of Service hours provided since 2013 by rising Roan sophomores as interns at non-profits around the world – and right here at home

Moving from idea to action to impact takes hard work – and tremendous support. Looking ahead to the next 20 years, we remain committed to excellence and impact; and to developing, inspiring, and empowering Roan Scholars to live out those values every day for the benefit of ETSU, the Appalachian Highlands region, and our world.

To do that, we need your support. If you are already serving, giving financially, and sharing the Roan story with others: thank you! If not, I invite you to join us, to help us expand our excellence and increase our impact. We hope that you enjoy looking back with us on the past year – and the past 20 - as you read this report, and we look forward to partnering with you in the years to come. Thank you for all you do for the Roan.