MEMPHIS and JACKSON, Tenn. — For Houston High School senior Neya McMurray, Middle Tennessee State University’s True Blue Tour stop in Memphis this year not only brought mascot Lightning to town for some nice selfies with her friends, but it also brought the unexpected benefit of a $2,000 scholarship when her name was the final one drawn as one of several lucky winners that night.

“I didn’t even know they were giving out scholarships tonight, but you know, I’m glad I came!” said an excited McMurray, showing her family’s strong True Blue ties by wearing a blue MTSU T-shirt with the power MT emblazoned across the front.

“My mom is an alumni from MTSU, so as I was growing up, she always told me about it. And we went to tour a little while ago, and ever since then, it’s really piqued my interest,” she said. “I’ve heard their College of Education is really good, and the program really interested me. It’s what I’m passionate about.”

Her mother, Nadiyah McMurray, is a proud MTSU College of Education graduate now serving as principal at Sherwood Elementary in Memphis. So it should come as little surprise that Neya also plans to pursue elementary education at MTSU, where she’s already applied and been accepted.

An ecstatic Neya accepted her scholarship check on stage from MTSU Provost Mark Byrnes, who was joined on the West Tennessee swing to Memphis and then Jackson by several academic deans and a host of administrative staff, ranging from academic advisors to admissions to housing, as the university continued its annual student recruitment trek throughout the state that also included an earlier lone out-of-state stop in Huntsville, Alabama.

‘There’s no one else … who does it this way’

The stops typically feature a luncheon for high school guidance counselors, followed by an evening reception for prospective students and their families to showcase all MTSU has to offer — over 300 undergraduate and graduate degree majors and concentrations, nationally ranked student programming and over $2 billion invested in academic facilities over the past 20 years.

Byrnes told prospective students and families at the Oct. 21 Memphis reception that MTSU is committed to supporting students throughout their academic journey.

“That’s because, on purpose, we have done all sorts of things — redesigning classes, hiring all these advisors, adopting software — to help you succeed. That is our goal. We want to see you walk across that stage in four years,” he said. “And if it takes extra time, as it does for some folks, that’s fine too. But our goal is to see you graduate and be successful. That’s why we’re in business that we’re in.”

Alumna Kiffany Williams, college and career coach for Middle College High School in Memphis, provided yet another MTSU alumni connection earlier in the day at the guidance counselor luncheon at the FedEx Event Center at Shelby Farms, which also hosted the student reception later that evening. 

Williams (Class of 2009) has served as a graduation coach for three years, but this marked her first at Middle College High. She appreciated MTSU’s effort to bring its campus leaders and resources to West Tennessee, where each of the 47 high schools represented received a $1,000 scholarship to award back at their schools.

“I think it’s very important, especially with me having the experience of being a student at MTSU,” Williams said. “A lot of students from West Tennessee attend MTSU, so it’s great for parents who are working and can’t actually take their students there. The students can get the information by the professionals bringing it to the campus to share with them, and I have the bags and the goodies that I’m going to take back and share with the students.”

For fellow counselor Constance Certion, the high school counseling manager for Memphis-Shelby County Schools, MTSU has impressed her as a guidance counselor with two decades of experience who can also evaluate the university from the perspective of a parent: son Noah is a sophomore studying broadcast journalism in the Scott Borchetta College of Media and Entertainment.

“On the parent side, I have really been pleased with his experience. I have 20 years of high school counseling experience, and I’ve sent lots of students to MTSU over the years. I’ve always been impressed with what they say about the university,” said Certion, who’s been in her current role for six years. “Over the years that I’ve been working as a counselor, one thing that has always impressed me is the way you all do things. There’s no one else, in my opinion, who does it this way.”

‘You guys feel a lot more accessible’

Lexington High School senior Aidan Milholen traveled with his dad, Gale, from their home in Henderson County to attend the Oct. 22 student reception in Jackson at the Jackson Country Club. While Aidan wasn’t one of the lucky scholarship winners that night, he did have an opportunity to speak with representatives from the MTSU College of Education about his desire to pursue a teaching degree, with the ultimate goal of becoming a football coach.

“I’d love to coach at college eventually, but obviously I have to start out somewhere lower. I won’t be able to start out there and would have to work my way up,” said Aidan, whose own football career was cut short, but his passion for the sport remains.

And for his dad, that passion demands a parent’s support.

“Well, I’m proud of him. He’s worked hard to get here, and … whatever he wants to do, I’m 100% behind,” the elder Milholen said with a smile. “He has to really feel it (pursuing a teaching career) because he’s been offered a job where he’d make more money than a teacher, but he’s turned it down to be a teacher. So you’ve got to do what you love.”

Khrystian Craven, a college access counselor at Lexington High through the nonprofit Ayers Foundation Trust, works with students like Aidan who aspire to become Blue Raiders and find their place on the Murfreesboro campus.

“I have a lot of students who are interested in MTSU. We’re always looking for ways to find them more scholarships and opportunities and knowing what programs they’re known for,” said Craven, a third-year counselor who joined dozens of others at the Country Club luncheon. “We’re actually going on a campus visit to MTSU next week. So this was just a great way to get more information to let those kids know more.”

True Blue Tour stops add a personal touch that has ripple effects.

“It makes you guys feel a lot more accessible and more real. So that way when I call (MT) One Stop, I know faces of people that I’ve seen,” she continued. “Or when I talk to the Admissions Office, I can circle back to these events, and it’s far less intimidating and more personal to get to work with you guys.”

Fellow Ayers Foundation college access counselor Chase Qualls, in his second year at Adamsville High School in McNairy County, was also complimentary of the administrative support the MTSU Admissions staff provides to help students apply and begin their higher education journeys.

“They do a lot for our students. It’s easy to navigate on the website. So we have a lot of kids that we take to campus,” he said. “Then you guys come in to show us what you have. It gives us an opportunity to take it back to our students and show them what you can offer.”

Isabella Hammond, a sophomore at Jackson Central-Merry Early College High in Madison County, stopped by the tour with her parents, Greg and Megan Hammond, to get an early look at what the Blue Raider campus has to offer and came away impressed.

“I learned some new things. Like at the (College of Education) booth, I learned that you can study at the college, and they also partner with districts. You can go work in a district,” said Isabella, a True Blue 100 scholar who ranks MTSU among her top options. “And then along with that, at the study abroad, you can be a teacher in a different country.”

By being named a True Blue 100 scholar, identifying Isabella as a top scholar early in her high school career, Isabella received a special package from the MTSU Admissions Office to introduce her to the Blue Raider community. Dad Greg noted that “there’s already been layers of this introduction and this was the next step,” and that MTSU “has done a great job bringing the university to our house.”

Added mom Megan: “I thought it was a great opportunity for Isabella, especially because this is kind of her first opportunity to speak to the different departments as she’s trying to figure out what she wants to do when she grows up.”

Remaining 2026 True Blue Tour schedule

Following recent stops in Chattanooga and Shelbyville, only two more True Blue Tour Middle Tennessee stops remain this coming week. All events are free, and walk-ups are welcome, though admissions staff encourage RSVPs in advance at https://mtsu.edu/rsvp.

• Monday, Nov. 2 — Gaylord Springs Golf Links, 18 Springhouse Lane, Nashville

• Thursday, Nov. 5 — MTSU Student Union Ballroom, 1768 MTSU Blvd., Murfreesboro

MTSU opens its campus to prospective students and their families for the True Blue Preview day on Saturday, Nov. 14. MTSU also offers daily campus tours. For information, call 615-898-5670 or email [email protected].

— Jimmy Hart ([email protected])