Grant Supports Young Alumni Career Development
The Lee University Alumni Advisory Board has established the Young Alumni Professional Development (YAPD) Grant to support Lee graduates in the early stages of their career development.
The grant program is designed to encourage alumni to participate in initiatives, events, trainings, and projects that advance them toward their calling. The grant is open to all Lee University alumni, regardless of academic major or professional experience, so long as the individual is within ten years of graduating from a Lee undergraduate program and is currently employed.
“We believe a Lee University education is not simply the transference of information from professor to student,” said Dr. Jerome Hammond, vice president for University Relations. “Lee graduates have learned to solve problems, wherever they are, for however long they are here. In this way, a Lee education is a life-long commitment to learn and serve, and this grant will aid in doing just that.”
The YAPD grant program recently received national attention, being featured in “Currents” magazine, a national publication concerned with trends and innovation in higher ed advancement.
Alumni Board member, Wade Lombard (’02), said, “We are pleased that the YAPD program is receiving this kind of attention, but not surprised. Lee is a special place, and when people discover it, they are blown away.”
Lee alum James McCluskey (M’10), Anna Carmichael (’12), and Amy (Widgon) Skipper (’94) show the students at Sharing Hope Preschool an issue of the Torch
The inaugural recipients and what their grants were used for include:
• Anna Carmichael (‘12) of Cleveland, Tennessee – Bookkeeping software purchased for her nonprofit, One Heart Africa, along with conference registration and travel fees.
• Leah Carroll (‘12) of Chattanooga, Tennessee – Music Educator Conference and Kodaly Institute’s workshop on Music Education.
• Danielle Cogan (‘13) of Dorchester, Massachusetts – Training and certification with the International Neurologic Music Therapy Training Institute and the National American Music Therapy Conference.
• Abigail Fletcher (‘05) of Cleveland, Tennessee – Monumental Fundraising conference in Washington, D.C.
• Alexandria Garrett (‘13) of Cleveland, Tennessee – Materials for educational workbooks, games, resources, and other classroom materials.
• Kelly Martin (‘12) of Belle, West Virginia – Professional development for special needs teaching endorsement.
• David Tahere (‘08) of Lookout Mountain, Georgia – Study with Reinaldo Macias of the Salzburg Music Festival and Zurich Opera.
• Alexander Urevick (‘14) of Louisville, Kentucky – Global Missions Health Conference, medical school travel expenses, and registration/travel fees for Medicine Conference.
“This year’s winners are working in areas such as nonprofit, music performance, and elementary education,” said Patti Cawood, director of Alumni Relations at Lee. “They are a diverse group, doing very interesting work in their field. We are proud to support them in their endeavors.”
For more information or to apply, contact at [email protected] or (423) 614-8316.
