The Office of Prestigious Awards at East Tennessee State University announces the next phase of the “Metro-to-Mountains Project,” a cultural exchange initiative that builds on the success of the I-40 Project. In collaboration with Kennesaw State University and the Why Not Win? Institute, the project will bring together students, faculty and staff from both institutions for a four-day immersive experience during KSU’s Homecoming Week from Sept. 26-29. 

“This staff-scholar exchange component of the program provides a unique and cost-effective cross-cultural collaborative opportunity for some of our top scholars and campus professionals at ETSU to draw upon the specific strengths of KSU and to explore disciplines and professions from a different perspective,” said Dr. Carson Medley, assistant dean of the ETSU Honors College and director of Prestigious Awards.  

The “Metro-to-Mountains Project” features 12 ETSU students, including Truman Scholar Trent White and Student Government Association President Hunter Turgeon, alongside seven staff members. Participants will be strategically paired with students and professionals from KSU, a rapidly growing institution with a diverse student population, offering ETSU representatives a chance to gain new perspectives on serving their community. 

Kendall Robertson, a Global Citizen Scholar and ETSU’s student leader for the project, emphasized the importance of this experience: “Through our collaboration with KSU, we hope to better understand the unique goals of minority-serving institutions. This experience will help us build stronger connections between our institutions.” 

Medley added that programs such as “Metro-to-Mountains” empower students and staff from seemingly different institutions and backgrounds to engage in a mutual exchange, one that places them in a position of immense responsibility.  

“When we step onto another campus, we are unofficial cultural ambassadors of our institution and region,” he said. “How the staff and students wearing the navy blue and gold engage and interact with the host campus—and when we host them—can shape how students, staff, families, and even entire generations of the campus and region we visit or when they visit will view ETSU, Johnson City and our region.”  

Throughout the exchange, participants will attend lectures, class visits, student and staff activities and visit Atlanta’s Museum for Civil and Human Rights, culminating in KSU’s Homecoming football game. Dr. Karen Kornweibel, former associate dean of the Honors College at ETSU and now dean of KSU’s Journey Honors College, will host the event. 

East Tennessee State University was founded in 1911 with a singular mission: to improve the quality of life for people in the region and beyond. Through its world-class health sciences programs and interprofessional approach to health care education, ETSU is a highly respected leader in rural health research and practices. The university also boasts nationally ranked programs in the arts, technology, computing, and media studies. ETSU serves approximately 14,000 students each year and is ranked among the top 10 percent of colleges in the nation for students graduating with the least amount of debt.

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