Service from the Start

The Preview experience at East Tennessee State University is 42 years in the making. The experience welcomes new students to campus, introducing them to the smiling faces of their peers and the rhythms of college life. The Service Plunge is a core tradition of the Preview experience and allows students to dive deep as soon as they arrive on campus.

The daylong event provides new Bucs the opportunity to engage with local community partners. Last fall, more than 850 students participated in the event and collaborated with 20 nonprofit organizations across the region.

Students who set out to serve in the morning joined Habitat for Humanity, the Washington County Animal Shelter, Appalachian Service Project, and Coalition for Kids. In the afternoon, students completed projects with The Salvation Army and the Boys & Girls Club of Johnson City and tended to the Tree Street Garden Project.

The goal of the day is to make a difference in the lives of those around us and instill in students a desire to make a real-world impact throughout their journey
as Buccaneers.

By engaging in such impactful projects during Service Plunge, ETSU’s incoming first-year students begin immediately living out the mission of the institution: to improve the quality of life for the people of the region and beyond.

The annual tradition of Service Plunge paints an evident picture of service to the region, telling the story that Bucs work hard, Bucs give back, and Bucs go beyond.