A LEGACY OF Impact

Roan Summer Of Service

Now in its eleventh year, the Roan Summer of Service has become a foundational component of the Roan Experience.

Each Roan Scholar learns about and serves with a non-profit or serviceoriented host organization for at least six weeks during the summer following their first year at ETSU.

In summer 2023, members of the Class of 2026 served in locations around the world – from teaching English and working with underserved populations abroad to helping provide medical and dental care to those in need here in the Appalachian Highlands, and in numerous other ways. Collectively, they contributed well over 2,000 service hours for their organizations.

ZAYDA CARVER ‘26

Freedom International Dominican Republic Education

COOPER JOHNSON ‘26

Montijo Baptist Church

Montijo, Portugal

Serving underserved communities

LEAH LOVEDAY ‘26

Remote Area Medical

Knoxville, TN

Heathcare for those in need

SARAH MOHAMMED ‘26

Currey Ingram Academy

Brentwood, TN

Specialty ADHD summer camp

KYAH POWERS ‘26

Love Share

Indonesia

Working with teens, orphans

MACY STRADER ‘26

Children Mending Hearts + Kids in the Spotlight

Burbank, CA

Combatting bullying; Helping kids tell their stories

BRAYDON WHITE ‘26

Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation, Inc

Kendalia, TX

Wildlife rehabilitation

NATALIE WHITE ‘26

Appalachian Miles for Smiles

Kingsport, TN

Community Health

Alternative Break Experiences

Members of the Roan Class of 2026 joined fellow ETSU students in traveling to sites throughout the southeast to participate in ETSU Alternative Breaks experiences in March 2023. Sponsored by ETSU's Office of Leadership and Civic Engagement, the Alternative Breaks program "trains and immerses students in a purposeful service experience designed to connect fellow Buccaneer students and community members while enhancing personal growth, mutual awareness, and life-long learning."

Zayda Carver (who also served as the student trip leader) and Cooper Johnson traveled to New Orleans, where their group focused on education and youth development, while Braydon White learned about and supported environmental conservation efforts in Charleston, SC. Leah Loveday, Kyah Powers, and Macy Strader aided in disaster recovery in rural Kentucky; Sarah Mohammed spent the week in Nashville, exploring issues related to healthcare access.

COMMUNITY-ENGAGED LEARNING

From the Roan’s earliest days, community engagement has been a hallmark of the program. Development of ETSU’s latest Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) – a large-scale initiative called “Go Beyond the Classroom,” which focuses on providing community-engaged learning opportunities – gave Roan Scholars numerous opportunities over the past year to share their experiences and be involved in that campus-wide effort.

Morgan Blazer ’25, Trent White ’25 and Roan Alumnus

Nathan Farnor ’18 were selected to serve on key subcommittees associated with this initiative and were heavily involved in QEP presentations when ETSU hosted a peer review team as part of the university’s 10-year reaffirmation of accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), while Sally Chikomb ’24, Shaina Thompson ’25, and Veronica Watson ’25 were prominently featured sharing their stories in the ETSU video that launched the initiative.